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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. squash — to crush
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. pop — soda
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. prune — to trim
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. season — of the year
  11. bank — for money
  12. squash — the sport
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. wound — an injury
  15. season — in sport
  16. prune — to trim
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. pop — to visit
  19. bank — for money
  20. rush — hurry
  21. pop — music
  22. wound — an injury
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. mouse — for a computer

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