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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 120 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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. degree — temperature
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. degree — an amount
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. rush — hurry
  8. degree — from a university
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. cap — a hat
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. cap — of ice
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. can — a tin
  15. wound — an injury
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. wound — an injury
  19. can — to be able to
  20. can — a tin
  21. squash — the sport
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. cap — a lid

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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