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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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Word bank
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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: mine · squash · season · rush · wake · bore · last · suit

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. squash — the sport
  7. suit — clothes
  8. season — in sport
  9. bore — to tire
  10. suit — in cards
  11. last — final
  12. bore — to drill
  13. squash — to crush
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. season — of the year
  16. suit — to fit
  17. wake — a trail
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. last — to go on
  20. mine — for digging
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. last — finally
  24. rush — hurry

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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