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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 120 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: wave · squash · bat · bear · trunk · tube · bowl · snap

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. bat — the animal
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. snap — to click
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. tube — the underground
  19. bear — the animal
  20. tube — a container
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. bear — the animal
  23. squash — to crush
  24. squash — the sport

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