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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. can — to be able to
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. shower — to wash
  6. row — to paddle
  7. firm — a company
  8. row — a line
  9. firm — steady
  10. rush — hurry
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. squash — the sport
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. squash — to crush
  16. can — a tin
  17. firm — decided
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. wound — an injury
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. can — a tin
  23. shower — rain
  24. wound — an injury

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