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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: tube · suit · face · rash · temple · cabinet · chest · squash

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. squash — the sport
  3. squash — to crush
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. chest — a box
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. suit — to fit
  10. chest — of your body
  11. suit — in cards
  12. tube — the underground
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. rash — hasty
  16. face — part of the head
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. rash — a series
  19. suit — clothes
  20. face — to confront
  21. face — to point toward
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. tube — a container
  24. chest — of your body

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