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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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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: rush · tube · ball · mug · foot · object · cap · hide

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. tube — a container
  3. cap — a hat
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. foot — a measure
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. mug — to rob
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. mug — a face
  13. mug — a cup
  14. object — an aim
  15. tube — the underground
  16. object — a thing
  17. cap — of ice
  18. ball — a dance
  19. cap — a lid
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. ball — a great time
  23. rush — hurry
  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