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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
468
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: wake · squash · mug · dip · cold · mate · cue · pop

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. cold — not warm
  4. mate — a friend
  5. squash — the sport
  6. cue — for pool
  7. pop — music
  8. mug — to rob
  9. cold — an illness
  10. pop — soda
  11. cue — a hint
  12. mate — a partner
  13. mug — a face
  14. mate — to breed
  15. wake — a trail
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. cue — a signal
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. dip — to sink
  22. mug — a cup
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. pop — to visit

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