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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.

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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: stand · cap · tube · saw · squash · craft · rash · firm

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. saw — the tool
  3. cap — of ice
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. cap — a lid
  6. saw — the tool
  7. firm — steady
  8. rash — hasty
  9. firm — a company
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. squash — the sport
  12. squash — to crush
  13. rash — a series
  14. cap — a hat
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. craft — boats
  17. tube — the underground
  18. craft — a skill
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. tube — a container
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. stand — to bear
  24. firm — decided

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