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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. fall — to drop
  3. squash — the sport
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. last — finally
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. band — a music group
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. fall — to drop
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. band — a ring
  12. chip — to eat
  13. pit — in a race
  14. squash — to crush
  15. last — final
  16. pit — a hole
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. rash — hasty
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. last — to go on
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. chip — for betting
  23. rash — a series
  24. band — a rubber band

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