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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: bore · cabinet · fall · rush · squash · bowl · mate · clip

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. rush — hurry
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fall — the season
  5. bore — to tire
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. clip — a video
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. squash — the sport
  12. mate — a partner
  13. fall — to drop
  14. bore — to drill
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. clip — to cut
  20. clip — for paper
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. mate — a friend
  24. mate — to breed

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