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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 116 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: leaves · fine · rush · mouse · squash · rest · deal · land

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. squash — the sport
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. deal — to handle
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. land — ground
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. rest — a break
  11. land — to come down
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. squash — to crush
  15. rush — hurry
  16. fine — all right
  17. rest — what's left
  18. fine — high quality
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. rest — what's left
  23. land — a country
  24. mouse — the animal

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