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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.

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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: mate · roll · kick · squash · mark · mine · bound · tube

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  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 — to crush
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. roll — a list
  5. tube — the underground
  6. mark — a grade
  7. tube — a container
  8. mate — a partner
  9. bound — certain
  10. mate — to breed
  11. bound — obliged
  12. mark — a trace
  13. mine — for digging
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. mate — a friend
  16. roll — a cake
  17. kick — in football
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. bound — tied together
  23. roll — on a roll
  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