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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: fine · squash · current · snap · cold · can · pound · rash

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. squash — to crush
  3. fine — high quality
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. squash — the sport
  6. rash — hasty
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. current — electric
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. current — happening now
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. fine — all right
  14. rash — a series
  15. cold — not warm
  16. current — of water
  17. snap — to click
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — a tin
  21. pound — a weight
  22. cold — an illness
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. can — to be able to

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