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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: bear · club · bay · trunk · squash · rush · spring · pop

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. spring — of water
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. club — a group
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. spring — a coil
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. bear — the animal
  12. spring — the season
  13. club — for dancing
  14. pop — soda
  15. club — for golf
  16. rush — hurry
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. pop — to visit
  21. pop — music
  22. squash — the sport
  23. bear — the animal
  24. rush — to hurry

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