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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: dip · band · tube · wind · squash · deal · snap · mug

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. squash — to crush
  4. squash — the sport
  5. wind — moving air
  6. band — a ring
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. snap — to click
  10. tube — the underground
  11. dip — to sink
  12. mug — a cup
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. wind — moving air
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. tube — a container
  18. mug — to rob
  19. deal — to handle
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. mug — a face
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. band — a music group

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com