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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: wound · toast · season · fine · deal · mug · squash · roll

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. fine — all right
  3. wound — an injury
  4. deal — to handle
  5. roll — a cake
  6. mug — a face
  7. fine — high quality
  8. mug — to rob
  9. season — of the year
  10. wound — an injury
  11. mug — a cup
  12. squash — to crush
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. season — in sport
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. toast — bread
  22. roll — a list
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. squash — the sport

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