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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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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: kick · toast · fan · lash · tube · safe · kid · hide

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. kid — child
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. kick — in football
  9. tube — the underground
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. tube — a container
  15. toast — bread
  16. kid — to tease
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. safe — out of danger

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