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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. squash — the sport
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. tube — a container
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. stand — to bear
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. tube — the underground
  10. mine — for digging
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. lash — a whip stroke

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