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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. bank — for money
  3. spring — of water
  4. firm — decided
  5. bank — of a river
  6. file — a line of people
  7. file — a tool
  8. spring — the season
  9. file — a document
  10. fall — to drop
  11. current — electric
  12. firm — steady
  13. current — happening now
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. fall — the season
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. bank — for money
  19. squash — the sport
  20. firm — a company
  21. current — of water
  22. spring — a coil
  23. date — the fruit
  24. fall — to drop

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