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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bound · squash · sharp · jam · wave · fall · face · club

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. club — a group
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. face — part of the head
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. face — to confront
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. bound — certain
  13. face — to point toward
  14. fall — to drop
  15. squash — the sport
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. bound — obliged
  18. bound — tied together
  19. fall — the season
  20. sharp — clever
  21. squash — to crush
  22. fall — to drop
  23. club — for dancing
  24. club — for golf

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