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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 120 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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. pass — a permit
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. squash — to crush
  9. mug — a cup
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. mug — to rob
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. squash — the sport
  16. mug — a face
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. bass — low music
  20. sharp — clever
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. bass — the fish
  24. bat — 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