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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. squash — to crush
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. stem — to come from
  6. spell — a short time
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. saw — the tool
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. club — for golf
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. deal — to handle
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. pit — in a race
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. club — for dancing
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. saw — the tool
  20. club — a group
  21. spell — letters
  22. spell — magic
  23. pit — a hole
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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