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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: mine · ball · bound · rush · tube · hide · deal · kick

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. ball — a great time
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. ball — a dance
  9. bound — obliged
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. tube — the underground
  12. bound — tied together
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. tube — a container
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. kick — in football
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. bound — certain
  21. mine — for digging
  22. rush — hurry
  23. deal — to handle
  24. rush — a thrill

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