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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. land — ground
  9. land — a country
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. squash — the sport
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. land — to come down
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. sharp — clever
  21. squash — to crush
  22. roll — a list
  23. roll — a cake
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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