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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. pass — a permit
  5. squash — the sport
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. rash — a series
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. sharp — clever
  11. bore — to tire
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. squash — to crush
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. mine — for digging
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. bore — to drill
  24. rash — hasty

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