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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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. rash — hasty
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. row — a line
  7. row — to paddle
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. stock — shares
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. pass — a permit
  13. squash — to crush
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. rush — hurry
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. squash — the sport
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. rash — a series
  23. stock — goods
  24. rush — to hurry

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