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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 120 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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. snap — to click
  4. squash — the sport
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. wound — an injury
  7. suit — in cards
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. club — for dancing
  11. squash — to crush
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. club — a group
  14. club — for golf
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. dip — to sink
  17. suit — to fit
  18. rush — hurry
  19. mate — a partner
  20. wound — an injury
  21. mate — to breed
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. suit — clothes
  24. mate — a friend

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