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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 120 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 · can · rest · leaves · spring · object · race · mug

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  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. mug — a face
  2. rest — what's left
  3. squash — to crush
  4. spring — a coil
  5. object — an aim
  6. race — the arms race
  7. squash — the sport
  8. spring — of water
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. race — a contest
  11. spring — the season
  12. rest — what's left
  13. race — humankind
  14. object — to protest
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. can — to be able to
  17. can — a tin
  18. can — a tin
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. mug — to rob
  21. mug — a cup
  22. object — a thing
  23. rest — a break
  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