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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 124 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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. squash — the sport
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. kid — child
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. bear — the animal
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. kid — to tease
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. straw — a straw man

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