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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: squash · coach · stand · mine · tube · lash · current · firm

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  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. squash — the sport
  2. firm — a company
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. squash — to crush
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. mine — for digging
  9. tube — the underground
  10. current — happening now
  11. firm — steady
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. tube — a container
  14. stand — to bear
  15. current — electric
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. current — of water
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. mine — an explosive
  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