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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: deal · row · spring · cell · wake · sharp · fine · squash

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. deal — to handle
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. cell — in biology
  6. spring — of water
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. squash — the sport
  10. row — to paddle
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. spring — a coil
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. cell — a phone
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. row — a line
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. wake — a trail
  20. sharp — clever
  21. squash — to crush
  22. fine — high quality
  23. fine — all right
  24. spring — the season

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