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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: band · object · last · squash · coach · plane · cell · rush

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. squash — the sport
  3. band — a ring
  4. last — to go on
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. band — a music group
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. rush — hurry
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. object — a thing
  14. cell — a phone
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. cell — in biology
  17. squash — to crush
  18. last — finally
  19. last — final
  20. object — to protest
  21. object — an aim
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. cell — in a prison

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