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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. ball — a dance
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. last — finally
  6. squash — the sport
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. ball — a great time
  11. last — final
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. fork — in a road
  14. last — to go on
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. pitcher — in baseball

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