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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.

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: squash · tube · wave · degree · chest · present · bark · suit

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. suit — in cards
  3. suit — to fit
  4. chest — a box
  5. present — there
  6. squash — the sport
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. present — the time now
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. suit — clothes
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. bark — to shout
  16. degree — an amount
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. chest — of your body
  19. degree — from a university
  20. tube — a container
  21. chest — of your body
  22. present — a gift
  23. tube — the underground
  24. degree — temperature

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