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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.

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: leaves · can · mark · rash · kid · squash · cabinet · race

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. squash — the sport
  4. can — a tin
  5. mark — a trace
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. race — humankind
  8. rash — hasty
  9. mark — a grade
  10. can — to be able to
  11. race — the arms race
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. race — a contest
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. kid — child
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. rash — a series
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. can — a tin
  24. kid — to tease

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