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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 · sharp · bank · date · bore · rush · wave · snap

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. sharp — clever
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. rush — hurry
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. squash — to crush
  13. bank — for money
  14. bore — to drill
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. date — the fruit
  19. bore — to tire
  20. bank — for money
  21. snap — to click
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. bank — of a river

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