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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. rest — what's left
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. squash — to crush
  6. rush — hurry
  7. squash — the sport
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. board — a committee
  11. cap — of ice
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. ground — a position
  14. ground — crushed
  15. cap — a lid
  16. rash — hasty
  17. rest — a break
  18. rest — what's left
  19. ground — the earth
  20. board — to get on
  21. dip — to sink
  22. cap — a hat
  23. rash — a series
  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