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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
468
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: last · object · hide · tube · current · squash · ruler · foot

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. tube — a container
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. foot — a measure
  5. last — finally
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. last — final
  10. object — to protest
  11. object — an aim
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. current — electric
  14. last — to go on
  15. squash — to crush
  16. object — a thing
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. current — happening now
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. tube — the underground
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. current — of water

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