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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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. game — a match
  3. staff — employees
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. scale — in music
  9. staff — employees
  10. bank — of a river
  11. bank — for money
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. bank — for money
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. game — wild animals
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. scale — size or range
  21. squash — the sport
  22. squash — to crush
  23. wake — a trail
  24. lash — to lash out

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