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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. shower — to wash
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. squash — to crush
  6. craft — a skill
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. firm — steady
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. firm — decided
  11. wake — a trail
  12. firm — a company
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. fine — high quality
  15. fine — all right
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. craft — boats
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. shower — rain
  20. tube — a container
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. tube — the underground

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