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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. squash — to crush
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. cell — a phone
  7. deal — to handle
  8. object — a thing
  9. bank — for money
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. rush — hurry
  14. bank — of a river
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. object — an aim
  17. object — to protest
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. cell — in biology
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. bank — for money
  24. deal — an agreement

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