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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: squash · snap · mouse · cap · wave · jam · pop · land

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. snap — to click
  3. land — ground
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. pop — soda
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. cap — a hat
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. squash — the sport
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. pop — music
  15. land — to come down
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. cap — a lid
  18. pop — to visit
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. land — a country
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. squash — to crush
  24. cap — of ice

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