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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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. squash — the vegetable
  4. dip — to sink
  5. squash — the sport
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. can — a tin
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. bear — the animal
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. fork — in a road
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. row — to paddle
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. bear — the animal
  20. row — a line
  21. can — to be able to
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. pass — a permit
  24. can — a tin

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