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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
468
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: mine · squash · suit · wave · lie · spring · kid · date

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. spring — of water
  3. spring — the season
  4. date — the fruit
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. squash — the sport
  7. spring — a coil
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. kid — child
  11. kid — to tease
  12. lie — to recline
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. suit — to fit
  16. mine — for digging
  17. suit — in cards
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. squash — to crush
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. suit — clothes
  24. wave — of the sea

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