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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 116 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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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: pop · squash · race · firm · suit · rest · hand · mug

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. rest — what's left
  3. pop — music
  4. suit — to fit
  5. pop — to visit
  6. mug — to rob
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. rest — a break
  9. race — humankind
  10. firm — steady
  11. race — the arms race
  12. firm — a company
  13. suit — in cards
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. rest — what's left
  16. hand — in cards
  17. squash — the sport
  18. firm — decided
  19. hand — help
  20. race — a contest
  21. mug — a cup
  22. suit — clothes
  23. squash — to crush
  24. pop — soda

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