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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. can — a tin
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. race — humankind
  6. can — a tin
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. squash — to crush
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. swing — in golf
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. game — a match
  15. race — a contest
  16. squash — the sport
  17. race — the arms race
  18. can — to be able to
  19. game — wild animals
  20. swing — to play on
  21. bark — to shout
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. rush — hurry
  24. swing — music

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