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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: lean · squash · shower · pound · object · rule · deal · bass

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. bass — low music
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. rule — government
  7. object — a thing
  8. lean — to bend
  9. rule — a law
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. object — to protest
  12. object — an aim
  13. shower — to wash
  14. bass — the fish
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. shower — rain
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. deal — to handle
  21. lean — thin
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. squash — the sport
  24. pound — a weight

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