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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: lean · squash · tube · hide · suit · stand · rest · drill

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. suit — in cards
  3. lean — to bend
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. drill — a practice
  6. squash — to crush
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. lean — thin
  9. rest — what's left
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. drill — army training
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. rest — what's left
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. drill — the tool
  16. suit — to fit
  17. stand — to bear
  18. rest — a break
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. suit — clothes
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. tube — a container
  23. tube — the underground
  24. squash — the sport

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