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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. bound — obliged
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. drill — a practice
  6. squash — the sport
  7. rash — a series
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. drill — the tool
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. firm — a company
  12. drill — army training
  13. bound — tied together
  14. squash — to crush
  15. season — of the year
  16. rash — hasty
  17. wake — a trail
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. rush — hurry
  20. season — in sport
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. firm — decided
  23. bound — certain
  24. firm — steady

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