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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. tube — a container
  4. squash — the sport
  5. board — to get on
  6. bank — for money
  7. rest — what's left
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. rash — hasty
  10. rest — what's left
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. bank — of a river
  15. board — a committee
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. rash — a series
  18. tube — the underground
  19. bank — for money
  20. lean — thin
  21. lean — to bend
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. rest — a break

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