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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.

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: tube · rash · bay · pop · land · band · kick · plane

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. pop — to visit
  3. rash — a series
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. plane — a tool
  6. rash — hasty
  7. land — ground
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. pop — music
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. land — to come down
  12. tube — a container
  13. tube — the underground
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. band — a music group
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. land — a country
  18. pop — soda
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. band — a ring

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