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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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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 · safe · cue · stick · squash · tube · racket · lash

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. cue — a hint
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. cue — a signal
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. band — a music group
  12. tube — the underground
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. tube — a container
  17. squash — the sport
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. band — a ring
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. cue — for pool
  24. racket — a loud noise

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