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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: club · rush · bound · tube · temple · ruler · squash · chest

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  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. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  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. tube — a container
  2. rush — hurry
  3. chest — of your body
  4. tube — the underground
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. chest — a box
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. bound — certain
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. squash — the sport
  11. squash — to crush
  12. club — for dancing
  13. club — a group
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. club — for golf
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. bound — tied together
  19. chest — of your body
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. bound — obliged
  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