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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mug · shower · rash · squash · racket · arm · suit · spring

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  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. rash — on the skin
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. shower — to wash
  5. shower — rain
  6. spring — the season
  7. spring — a coil
  8. spring — of water
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. mug — a face
  12. squash — to crush
  13. suit — to fit
  14. suit — clothes
  15. mug — a cup
  16. suit — in cards
  17. mug — to rob
  18. rash — a series
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. rash — hasty
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. squash — the vegetable
  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