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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: squash · rush · fall · fine · rock · rash · stick · nail

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. rash — a series
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. squash — to crush
  10. rash — hasty
  11. fine — all right
  12. rock — music
  13. squash — the sport
  14. fall — the season
  15. fall — to drop
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. rush — hurry
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. fall — to drop
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. fine — high quality
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. rock — a stone

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