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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 116 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: snap · patient · dip · firm · kid · squash · rush · board

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. squash — to crush
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. dip — to sink
  5. kid — child
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. snap — to click
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. firm — decided
  12. rush — hurry
  13. board — a committee
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. firm — steady
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. board — to get on
  20. firm — a company
  21. squash — the sport
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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