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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. fine — all right
  3. staff — employees
  4. lean — thin
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. fine — high quality
  7. squash — to crush
  8. tube — a container
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. squash — the sport
  11. lean — to bend
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. staff — a stick
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. kid — to tease
  17. pop — music
  18. pop — soda
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. kid — child
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. tube — the underground
  24. staff — employees

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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