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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: clip · saw · season · rash · tube · cap · squash · bowl

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. tube — a container
  4. season — of the year
  5. squash — to crush
  6. cap — a lid
  7. cap — of ice
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. clip — for paper
  11. rash — a series
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. rash — hasty
  14. clip — a video
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. tube — the underground
  17. saw — the tool
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. squash — the sport
  20. cap — a hat
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. season — in sport
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. clip — to cut

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