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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: mine · foot · rest · squash · snap · suit · wind · firm

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. rest — a break
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. mine — for digging
  5. suit — to fit
  6. squash — to crush
  7. wind — moving air
  8. suit — clothes
  9. rest — what's left
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. squash — the sport
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. foot — a measure
  15. rest — what's left
  16. firm — decided
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. suit — in cards
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. snap — to click
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. firm — a company
  23. wind — moving air
  24. firm — steady

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