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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. squash — to crush
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. mark — a trace
  6. fall — to drop
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. ground — a position
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. fall — the season
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. ground — crushed
  16. lean — thin
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. pass — a permit
  19. ground — the earth
  20. squash — the sport
  21. fall — to drop
  22. lean — to bend
  23. mark — a grade
  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