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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: mate · swing · tube · rule · squash · sharp · cabinet · rush

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. sharp — clever
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. tube — a container
  6. mate — a friend
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. swing — to play on
  9. tube — the underground
  10. swing — music
  11. swing — in golf
  12. mate — to breed
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. mate — a partner
  18. squash — the sport
  19. rule — a law
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. rule — government
  23. rush — hurry
  24. rush — a thrill

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