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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 116 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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. ground — a position
  3. rush — hurry
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. pop — soda
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. ground — crushed
  12. ground — the earth
  13. bank — of a river
  14. race — a contest
  15. squash — the sport
  16. race — the arms race
  17. bear — the animal
  18. pop — to visit
  19. bank — for money
  20. bear — the animal
  21. pop — music
  22. race — humankind
  23. squash — to crush
  24. bank — for money

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