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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: temple · kick · squash · mine · fine · tube · fan · rush

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. fine — all right
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. squash — to crush
  7. kick — in football
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. mine — for digging
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. fine — high quality
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. squash — the sport
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. tube — a container
  22. rush — hurry
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. temple — a place of worship

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