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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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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: suit · squash · file · pass · straw · rush · cabinet · cap

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. cap — a hat
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. file — a document
  5. suit — in cards
  6. pass — a permit
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. file — a line of people
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. rush — hurry
  11. cap — a lid
  12. file — a tool
  13. suit — to fit
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. squash — the sport
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. suit — clothes
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. cap — of ice
  24. squash — to crush

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