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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: rash · rest · pound · can · tube · wake · bowl · object

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. tube — a container
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. can — to be able to
  7. wake — a trail
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. rest — what's left
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. rash — a series
  13. object — a thing
  14. tube — the underground
  15. pound — a weight
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rest — a break
  18. rash — hasty
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. can — a tin
  22. can — a tin
  23. object — an aim
  24. wake — before a funeral

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