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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 116 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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. root — the cause
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. drill — a practice
  5. can — a tin
  6. can — a tin
  7. drill — army training
  8. spell — letters
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. pass — a permit
  11. spell — magic
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. spell — a short time
  15. deal — to handle
  16. can — to be able to
  17. root — of a plant
  18. squash — to crush
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. squash — the sport
  22. root — of a word
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. drill — the tool

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