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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: snap · mate · rule · stand · toast · squash · bass · rush

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. rule — a law
  3. bass — the fish
  4. rule — government
  5. mate — to breed
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. bass — low music
  12. mate — a partner
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. mate — a friend
  15. stand — to bear
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. squash — to crush
  18. toast — bread
  19. snap — to click
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. squash — the sport
  24. rush — hurry

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