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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: lean · squash · cabinet · chair · bowl · rule · current · rush

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. squash — to crush
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. current — of water
  7. rule — government
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. lean — thin
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. current — electric
  13. rule — a law
  14. current — happening now
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. rush — hurry
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. chair — a leader
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. squash — the sport
  23. lean — to bend
  24. cabinet — ministers

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