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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: band · nail · cap · hand · pound · kick · suit · tube

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. suit — in cards
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. band — a music group
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. pound — a weight
  8. suit — clothes
  9. suit — to fit
  10. band — a ring
  11. cap — of ice
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. cap — a hat
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. kick — in football
  18. tube — a container
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. hand — in cards
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. tube — the underground
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. hand — help

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