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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. rock — a stone
  3. squash — to crush
  4. wind — moving air
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. current — electric
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. ground — crushed
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. deal — to handle
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. current — happening now
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. ground — a position
  18. wind — moving air
  19. current — of water
  20. rock — music
  21. rush — hurry
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. ground — the earth

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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