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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
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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: file · rest · cue · tube · coach · degree · rash · squash

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. file — a document
  3. cue — a signal
  4. rest — what's left
  5. squash — to crush
  6. file — a line of people
  7. squash — the sport
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. cue — a hint
  10. rest — a break
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. rest — what's left
  13. file — a tool
  14. degree — from a university
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. cue — for pool
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. degree — an amount
  19. rash — hasty
  20. tube — a container
  21. tube — the underground
  22. degree — temperature
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. rash — on the skin

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