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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: season · squash · fine · wound · drill · stem · rest · suit

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. wound — an injury
  3. fine — all right
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. wound — an injury
  6. stem — to come from
  7. rest — a break
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. rest — what's left
  10. drill — army training
  11. suit — to fit
  12. suit — in cards
  13. season — of the year
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. squash — to crush
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. fine — high quality
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. drill — the tool
  21. suit — clothes
  22. drill — a practice
  23. season — in sport
  24. rest — what's left

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