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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.

Make a worksheet

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: row · hide · tube · mine · can · cell · fork · squash

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. tube — a container
  5. squash — the sport
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. cell — in biology
  8. mine — for digging
  9. can — a tin
  10. fork — in a road
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. can — to be able to
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. cell — a phone
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. row — a line
  19. can — a tin
  20. squash — to crush
  21. row — to paddle
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. row — a quarrel

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