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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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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 · snap · cell · pass · stand · rock · rest · ground

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. rest — what's left
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. pass — a permit
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. rest — what's left
  11. ground — a position
  12. cell — a phone
  13. rest — a break
  14. rock — music
  15. ground — the earth
  16. squash — to crush
  17. rock — a stone
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. snap — to click
  20. cell — in biology
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. squash — the sport
  24. stand — to bear

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