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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: present · squash · fine · wake · spring · rash · date · press

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. present — the time now
  3. date — the fruit
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. present — there
  6. wake — a trail
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. present — a gift
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. press — to push
  11. rash — hasty
  12. spring — a coil
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. press — newspapers
  15. squash — to crush
  16. press — a publisher
  17. fine — all right
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. fine — high quality
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. squash — the sport
  22. spring — of water
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. spring — the season

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