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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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. root — of a word
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. band — a ring
  5. ball — a dance
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. chip — for betting
  8. squash — the sport
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. ball — a great time
  11. root — of a plant
  12. squash — to crush
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. chip — to eat
  16. band — a music group
  17. sharp — clever
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. root — the cause
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. rash — hasty
  24. chip — in a computer

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