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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 120 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: rash · squash · rush · season · ground · mate · dip · deal

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. mate — a friend
  5. rush — hurry
  6. rash — hasty
  7. season — of the year
  8. season — in sport
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. ground — crushed
  12. mate — to breed
  13. mate — a partner
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. ground — the earth
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. ground — a position
  20. squash — to crush
  21. rash — a series
  22. dip — to sink
  23. deal — to handle
  24. rash — on the skin

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