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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 120 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
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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: chair · rock · lean · tube · rush · squash · wind · coach

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. lean — thin
  3. wind — moving air
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. tube — a container
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. lean — to bend
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. chair — a leader
  16. squash — to crush
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. rock — music
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. squash — the sport
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. wind — moving air
  23. tube — the underground
  24. rush — hurry

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