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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: rule · squash · club · plane · rash · mug · wind · roll

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. squash — to crush
  3. club — for dancing
  4. rash — a series
  5. mug — a cup
  6. mug — to rob
  7. club — a group
  8. rule — government
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. wind — moving air
  11. plane — a tool
  12. roll — a cake
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. club — for golf
  15. wind — moving air
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. rash — hasty
  19. mug — a face
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. squash — the sport
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. roll — a list

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