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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.

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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 · game · squash · face · dip · rule · bass · nail

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. squash — the sport
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. bass — the fish
  5. rule — a law
  6. dip — to sink
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. game — wild animals
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. rush — hurry
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. face — part of the head
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. bass — low music
  19. squash — to crush
  20. game — a match
  21. face — to point toward
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. rule — government
  24. face — to confront

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