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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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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: squash · club · rest · leaves · bulb · kid · racket · plane

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. plane — a tool
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. club — a group
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. kid — to tease
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. kid — child
  11. club — for dancing
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. bulb — for light
  14. rest — a break
  15. club — for golf
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. rest — what's left
  20. bulb — for light
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. squash — the sport
  23. rest — what's left
  24. plane — in geometry

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