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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: shower · squash · leaves · cell · rush · hand · firm · snap

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. firm — a company
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. squash — to crush
  6. shower — rain
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. cell — in biology
  11. squash — the sport
  12. shower — to wash
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. snap — to click
  15. rush — hurry
  16. firm — steady
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. cell — a phone
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. hand — help
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. firm — decided
  24. hand — in cards

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