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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: jam · rush · wound · squash · perch · wave · tear · mate

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. wound — an injury
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. rush — hurry
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. tear — from crying
  11. tear — to rip
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. squash — to crush
  15. squash — the sport
  16. mate — a friend
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. perch — the fish
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. tear — from crying
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. mate — to breed
  24. mate — a partner

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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