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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: tube · bear · kick · temple · bank · squash · straw · deal

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. tube — a container
  5. kick — in football
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. tube — the underground
  9. deal — to handle
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. squash — to crush
  14. squash — the sport
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bank — for money
  21. bear — the animal
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. bank — for money
  24. bank — of a river

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