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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: spring · toast · fine · tube · shower · mug · squash · rush

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. tube — a container
  3. fine — all right
  4. fine — high quality
  5. spring — of water
  6. rush — hurry
  7. tube — the underground
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. mug — a face
  10. mug — a cup
  11. shower — to wash
  12. squash — to crush
  13. shower — rain
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. squash — the sport
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. spring — the season
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. spring — a coil
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. mug — to rob
  24. toast — bread

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