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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: wake · date · safe · jam · rush · nail · drill · squash

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. drill — the tool
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. rush — hurry
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. drill — army training
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. wake — a trail
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. drill — a practice
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. squash — the sport
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. date — the fruit

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