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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.

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: squash · bulb · last · rush · mouse · pit · tear · cap

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. pit — in a race
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. tear — to rip
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. tear — from crying
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. last — to go on
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. cap — a lid
  14. squash — to crush
  15. bulb — for light
  16. rush — hurry
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. tear — from crying
  19. cap — a hat
  20. squash — the sport
  21. pit — a hole
  22. last — finally
  23. last — final
  24. cap — of ice

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