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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. lean — to bend
  3. lean — thin
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. firm — a company
  6. swing — to play on
  7. pop — to visit
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. pop — music
  11. firm — steady
  12. pop — soda
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. squash — the sport
  22. swing — in golf
  23. firm — decided
  24. swing — music

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