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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. squash — to crush
  4. can — to be able to
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. drill — a practice
  7. track — to keep track
  8. band — a music group
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. cue — a hint
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. drill — army training
  13. cue — a signal
  14. track — a song
  15. chair — a leader
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. cue — for pool
  18. band — a ring
  19. drill — the tool
  20. track — a path
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. can — a tin
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. can — a tin

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