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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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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: jam · rest · bank · lie · cue · squash · tube · capital

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. rest — a break
  3. bank — for money
  4. tube — the underground
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. capital — a city
  8. squash — the sport
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. lie — to recline
  11. rest — what's left
  12. cue — for pool
  13. bank — of a river
  14. cue — a signal
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. cue — a hint
  17. squash — to crush
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. capital — money
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. rest — what's left
  22. bank — for money
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. tube — a container

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