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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. squash — the sport
  6. track — to keep track
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. foot — a measure
  9. snap — to click
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. dip — to sink
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. track — a path
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. track — a song
  24. dip — to dunk

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