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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: squash · spell · cabinet · row · mate · saw · pass · chest

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. squash — to crush
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. saw — the tool
  6. spell — letters
  7. mate — a friend
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. row — a line
  10. row — to paddle
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. squash — the sport
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. chest — a box
  17. chest — of your body
  18. spell — magic
  19. pass — a permit
  20. saw — the tool
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. mate — a partner
  23. chest — of your body
  24. mate — to breed

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