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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: spell · nail · pass · chest · sharp · squash · rock · date

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. spell — magic
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. spell — a short time
  8. date — the fruit
  9. chest — of your body
  10. sharp — clever
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. rock — music
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. pass — a permit
  15. chest — a box
  16. squash — the sport
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. rock — a stone
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. spell — letters
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. squash — to crush
  24. chest — of your body

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