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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: date · rest · squash · hide · fine · pop · bank · hand

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. pop — to visit
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. squash — to crush
  5. date — the fruit
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. rest — a break
  8. bank — for money
  9. hand — in cards
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. bank — of a river
  12. fine — all right
  13. fine — high quality
  14. pop — music
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. pop — soda
  17. hand — help
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. bank — for money
  20. squash — the sport
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rest — what's left

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