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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.

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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. squash — the sport
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. clip — to cut
  6. root — of a word
  7. mark — a grade
  8. root — the cause
  9. mark — a trace
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. squash — to crush
  15. root — of a plant
  16. pass — a permit
  17. clip — for paper
  18. wake — a trail
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. clip — a video
  24. mark — to pay attention

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