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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. wake — a trail
  3. spell — magic
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. club — a group
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. degree — an amount
  11. kick — in football
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. spell — letters
  14. degree — temperature
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. club — for golf
  17. club — for dancing
  18. spell — a short time
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. degree — from a university
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. squash — the sport
  24. squash — the vegetable

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