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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.

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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 · bank · ball · mate · snap · toast · rush · stem

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. squash — to crush
  4. bank — for money
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. snap — to click
  7. bank — for money
  8. toast — bread
  9. ball — a dance
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. squash — the sport
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. ball — a great time
  14. mate — a partner
  15. bank — of a river
  16. rush — hurry
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. stem — to come from
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. mate — a friend
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. mate — to breed

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