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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
468
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: squash · kick · bass · land · key · hide · tube · rock

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. bass — low music
  3. kick — in football
  4. squash — to crush
  5. land — ground
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. key — the most important part
  8. rock — a stone
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. bass — the fish
  12. key — in music
  13. tube — a container
  14. squash — the sport
  15. rock — music
  16. tube — the underground
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. land — to come down
  21. land — a country
  22. key — for a lock
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. hide — to keep secret

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