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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 116 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: staff · kick · hide · tube · cell · club · pass · squash

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. cell — in biology
  3. staff — employees
  4. squash — the sport
  5. tube — the underground
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. staff — employees
  10. pass — a permit
  11. squash — to crush
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. staff — a stick
  17. club — for dancing
  18. tube — a container
  19. club — a group
  20. kick — in football
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. club — for golf
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. cell — a phone

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