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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. pop — music
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. rush — hurry
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. stem — to come from
  9. pop — soda
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. pop — to visit
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. squash — the sport
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. pass — a permit
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. calf — of the leg

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