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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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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: present · tube · band · squash · lash · rock · lie · chip

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. present — a gift
  3. tube — a container
  4. squash — to crush
  5. present — there
  6. present — the time now
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lie — to recline
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. chip — to eat
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. chip — for betting
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. squash — the sport
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. rock — music
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. band — a music group
  21. band — a ring
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. rock — a stone
  24. tube — the underground

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