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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. row — a line
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. squash — the sport
  6. face — part of the head
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. face — to confront
  9. row — to paddle
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. mark — a grade
  12. shower — rain
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. face — to point toward
  19. mark — a trace
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. rush — hurry
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. shower — to wash

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