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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: tube · rest · rush · staff · squash · kick · trunk · shower

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. staff — a stick
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. rest — a break
  5. rest — what's left
  6. tube — the underground
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. shower — to wash
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. shower — rain
  15. tube — a container
  16. squash — the sport
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. staff — employees
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. rush — hurry
  22. kick — in football
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. staff — employees

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