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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
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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: swing · rush · fine · snap · tear · bat · fan · squash

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. swing — music
  3. swing — in golf
  4. tear — from crying
  5. snap — to click
  6. fine — all right
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. rush — hurry
  9. bat — the animal
  10. tear — to rip
  11. squash — to crush
  12. squash — the sport
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. swing — to play on
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. fine — high quality
  21. tear — from crying
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. fan — a supporter

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