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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 116 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: rush · cap · bowl · mug · bat · plane · mark · squash

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. mug — a face
  3. mug — to rob
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. mark — a trace
  6. cap — of ice
  7. squash — the sport
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. cap — a hat
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. bat — the animal
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. cap — a lid
  16. mark — a grade
  17. mug — a cup
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. squash — to crush
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. plane — a tool

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