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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. saw — the tool
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. can — a tin
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. saw — the tool
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. hand — in cards
  14. current — happening now
  15. tube — a container
  16. can — a tin
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. squash — to crush
  19. current — of water
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. can — to be able to
  22. current — electric
  23. hand — help
  24. tube — the underground

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