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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.

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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: wound · object · squash · snap · rash · season · craft · pop

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. wound — an injury
  3. pop — to visit
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. rash — a series
  7. season — of the year
  8. craft — a skill
  9. season — in sport
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. pop — music
  12. snap — to click
  13. rash — hasty
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. craft — boats
  16. object — a thing
  17. squash — the sport
  18. pop — soda
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. object — an aim
  22. object — to protest
  23. wound — an injury
  24. squash — the vegetable

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