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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 · plane · tube · bore · craft · rush · chest · racket

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. rush — hurry
  3. bore — to drill
  4. craft — a skill
  5. squash — to crush
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. tube — the underground
  9. chest — of your body
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. chest — of your body
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. craft — boats
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. squash — the sport
  16. plane — a tool
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. tube — a container
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. bore — to tire
  24. racket — for tennis

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