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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. rest — what's left
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. rest — a break
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. rest — what's left
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. board — to get on
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. snap — to click
  15. row — a line
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. wake — a trail
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. board — a committee
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. row — to paddle
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. squash — to crush

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