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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. lean — thin
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. lean — to bend
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. pit — a hole
  10. squash — to crush
  11. pit — in a race
  12. suit — in cards
  13. suit — clothes
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. suit — to fit
  16. band — a music group
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. squash — the sport
  22. band — a ring
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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