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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: spring · file · rock · rest · deal · board · squash · pass

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. squash — to crush
  3. board — to get on
  4. spring — the season
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. board — a committee
  7. spring — of water
  8. rock — music
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. file — a line of people
  12. rock — a stone
  13. spring — a coil
  14. rest — what's left
  15. file — a document
  16. squash — the sport
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. deal — to handle
  21. pass — a permit
  22. file — a tool
  23. rest — a break
  24. board — a flat piece

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