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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: squash · dip · shower · rash · season · deal · present · kick

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. kick — in football
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. shower — to wash
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. present — a gift
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. rash — a series
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. deal — to handle
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. season — in sport
  14. squash — to crush
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. dip — to sink
  17. present — the time now
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. season — of the year
  20. shower — rain
  21. present — there
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. rash — hasty

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