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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: foot · wake · rash · squash · spring · bulb · date · fine

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. spring — of water
  3. rash — hasty
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. foot — a measure
  6. date — the fruit
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. spring — the season
  9. spring — a coil
  10. rash — a series
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. fine — all right
  13. fine — high quality
  14. wake — a trail
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. bulb — for light
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. bulb — for light
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. squash — the sport
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. date — on the calendar

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