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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: squash · net · club · rash · dip · tube · suit · last

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  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. last — final
  2. suit — in cards
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. dip — to sink
  5. last — finally
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. tube — the underground
  8. net — for catching
  9. last — to go on
  10. tube — a container
  11. suit — clothes
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. suit — to fit
  14. rash — a series
  15. club — a group
  16. rash — hasty
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. net — after costs
  19. squash — the sport
  20. club — for dancing
  21. club — for golf
  22. net — in sport
  23. rash — on the skin
  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