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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: spell · object · squash · patient · straw · pop · scale · shower

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. scale — in music
  5. scale — size or range
  6. squash — to crush
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. spell — a short time
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. object — an aim
  11. spell — letters
  12. shower — to wash
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. shower — rain
  17. squash — the sport
  18. pop — to visit
  19. spell — magic
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. object — to protest
  23. pop — music
  24. object — a thing

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