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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: last · squash · ground · leaves · staff · rash · clip · bulb

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. rash — hasty
  3. squash — to crush
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. ground — a position
  7. clip — to cut
  8. last — finally
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. squash — the sport
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. ground — crushed
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. clip — for paper
  16. clip — a video
  17. bulb — for light
  18. last — final
  19. ground — the earth
  20. staff — a stick
  21. rash — a series
  22. staff — employees
  23. staff — employees
  24. bulb — for light

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