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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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: bowl · pop · rush · track · hide · tube · fan · land

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. tube — the underground
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. land — a country
  6. track — to keep track
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. land — ground
  9. pop — soda
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. rush — hurry
  13. track — a path
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. pop — music
  17. land — to come down
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. track — a song
  21. pop — to visit
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. fan — a supporter

Multiple-meaning words list

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

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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