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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 116 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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. band — a music group
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. squash — the sport
  6. rush — hurry
  7. bank — for money
  8. bulb — for light
  9. charge — electricity
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bank — of a river
  14. squash — to crush
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. bank — for money
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. charge — in control
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. charge — a price
  24. band — a ring

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