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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 116 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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. squash — the sport
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. file — a document
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. swing — music
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. swing — to play on
  9. mate — to breed
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. mate — a partner
  12. march — the month
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. stand — to bear
  15. squash — to crush
  16. march — the month
  17. file — a line of people
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. file — a tool
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. swing — in golf
  23. mate — a friend
  24. march — 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