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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.

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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: bound · tube · craft · rush · squash · board · object · press

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. object — a thing
  3. board — a committee
  4. craft — a skill
  5. press — newspapers
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. tube — the underground
  8. bound — obliged
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. rush — hurry
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. bound — certain
  13. tube — a container
  14. press — a publisher
  15. squash — to crush
  16. board — to get on
  17. press — to push
  18. squash — the sport
  19. object — an aim
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. bound — tied together
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. object — to protest

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