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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.

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: spell · can · pitch · squash · cell · lash · tube · bear

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. spell — letters
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. spell — a short time
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. bear — the animal
  7. tube — the underground
  8. cell — a phone
  9. can — a tin
  10. spell — magic
  11. squash — the sport
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. cell — in biology
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. pitch — completely
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. bear — the animal
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. can — a tin
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. squash — to crush
  24. tube — a container

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