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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. lie — to recline
  5. cap — a hat
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. cap — a lid
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. pass — a permit
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. spell — a short time
  12. squash — the sport
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. spell — letters
  16. squash — to crush
  17. spell — magic
  18. cap — of ice

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