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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 116 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 · kid · spring · pass · court · rock · straw · lean

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. pass — a permit
  4. rock — a stone
  5. spring — of water
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. squash — the sport
  8. spring — the season
  9. lean — thin
  10. kid — to tease
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. lean — to bend
  13. kid — child
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. spring — a coil
  16. squash — to crush
  17. rock — music
  18. court — of a king
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. court — of law
  21. court — for sport
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. straw — dry grass

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