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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.

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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: bound · arm · stand · bass · squash · last · hand · rush

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. hand — help
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. hand — in cards
  6. stand — to bear
  7. rush — hurry
  8. last — to go on
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. squash — to crush
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. bound — tied together
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. last — finally
  17. bound — certain
  18. bass — low music
  19. bound — obliged
  20. last — final
  21. bass — the fish
  22. squash — the sport
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. rush — a thrill

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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