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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: chest · suit · squash · prune · rule · rash · tube · craft

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. suit — clothes
  3. craft — boats
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. chest — of your body
  6. tube — the underground
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. suit — in cards
  9. squash — the sport
  10. rash — a series
  11. craft — a skill
  12. prune — to trim
  13. tube — a container
  14. chest — a box
  15. rule — a law
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. rule — government
  19. rash — hasty
  20. prune — to trim
  21. suit — to fit
  22. chest — of your body
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. squash — the vegetable

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