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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 felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. wake — a trail
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. band — a ring
  6. mug — a face
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. degree — an amount
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. squash — to crush
  11. degree — from a university
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. rock — a stone
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. mug — a cup
  16. toast — bread
  17. degree — temperature
  18. mug — to rob
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. band — a music group
  23. rock — music
  24. rock — to move gently

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