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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 · rush · date · bulb · firm · stick · plane · last

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. rush — hurry
  3. bulb — for light
  4. firm — a company
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. last — to go on
  8. last — finally
  9. firm — steady
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. last — final
  13. date — the fruit
  14. squash — to crush
  15. bulb — for light
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. firm — decided
  19. plane — a tool
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. squash — the sport
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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