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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: fine · spring · saw · squash · tube · game · lash · mug

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. mug — to rob
  4. saw — the tool
  5. game — wild animals
  6. fine — high quality
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. spring — the season
  10. spring — of water
  11. fine — all right
  12. mug — a cup
  13. game — a match
  14. saw — the tool
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. squash — to crush
  18. spring — a coil
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. squash — the sport
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. tube — the underground
  24. mug — a face

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