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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. game — a match
  4. squash — the sport
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. last — finally
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. last — final
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. board — a committee
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. last — to go on
  15. chip — for betting
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. foot — a measure
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. board — to get on
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. chip — to eat
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. game — wild animals

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