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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. sharp — clever
  4. saw — the tool
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. saw — the tool
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. plane — a tool
  9. lean — thin
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. hand — in cards
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. hand — help
  21. lean — to bend
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. squash — the sport
  24. plane — an aircraft

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