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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. plane — a tool
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. capital — money
  5. rush — hurry
  6. pop — music
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bear — the animal
  9. pop — to visit
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. pop — soda
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. capital — a city
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. squash — the sport
  18. plane — an aircraft

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