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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: tear · squash · snap · mug · roll · track · key · pop

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. roll — a cake
  3. mug — a cup
  4. track — to keep track
  5. squash — the sport
  6. tear — to rip
  7. pop — soda
  8. key — in music
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. track — a path
  11. mug — to rob
  12. snap — to click
  13. mug — a face
  14. tear — from crying
  15. tear — from crying
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. pop — music
  18. roll — a list
  19. key — the most important part
  20. key — for a lock
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. track — a song
  23. pop — to visit
  24. squash — the vegetable

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