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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.

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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: squash · kick · lash · scale · rule · tube · pass · wake

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. rule — government
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. tube — the underground
  8. kick — in football
  9. scale — in music
  10. tube — a container
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. rule — a law
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. pass — a permit
  15. squash — to crush
  16. wake — a trail
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. squash — the sport
  20. scale — size or range
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. squash — the vegetable

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