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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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Word bank
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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. drill — army training
  3. rush — hurry
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. squash — to crush
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. kid — to tease
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. pop — soda
  11. pop — to visit
  12. squash — the sport
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. pop — music
  16. drill — the tool
  17. drill — a practice
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. kid — child
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. rush — to hurry

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