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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.

Make a worksheet

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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. row — a line
  3. staff — a stick
  4. root — the cause
  5. root — of a word
  6. current — electric
  7. net — for catching
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. staff — employees
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. current — of water
  13. pass — a permit
  14. row — to paddle
  15. net — in sport
  16. staff — employees
  17. root — of a plant
  18. squash — to crush
  19. net — after costs
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. current — happening now

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