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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: deal · pass · wound · face · squash · jam · rush · snap

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. deal — to handle
  3. face — part of the head
  4. wound — an injury
  5. face — to confront
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. snap — to click
  10. pass — a permit
  11. squash — to crush
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. wound — an injury
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. face — to point toward
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. rush — hurry
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. pass — to spend time

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