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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 116 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: last · rush · scale · squash · cabinet · snap · band · racket

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. rush — hurry
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. last — to go on
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. snap — to click
  12. last — final
  13. squash — to crush
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. band — a ring
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. last — finally
  18. scale — in music
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. squash — the sport
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. scale — size or range
  24. band — a music group

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