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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: mug · pass · mine · spell · arm · squash · rash · shower

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. mug — to rob
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. rash — hasty
  6. rash — a series
  7. pass — a permit
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. shower — to wash
  11. squash — the sport
  12. spell — letters
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. squash — to crush
  15. mug — a face
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. shower — rain
  18. mine — for digging
  19. spell — a short time
  20. spell — magic
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. mug — a cup
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. arm — part of the body

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