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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: nail · lash · lean · pop · squash · tube · rule · face

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. face — to confront
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. lean — to bend
  7. tube — the underground
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. rule — government
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. face — to point toward
  12. pop — to visit
  13. squash — the sport
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. face — part of the head
  16. pop — music
  17. pop — soda
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. lean — thin
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. tube — a container
  24. rule — a law

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