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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. squash — to crush
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. bank — of a river
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. craft — a skill
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. pop — music
  10. file — a document
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. file — a tool
  13. pop — soda
  14. bank — for money
  15. bass — low music
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. file — a line of people
  20. craft — boats
  21. snap — to click
  22. bass — the fish
  23. squash — the sport
  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