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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. shower — to wash
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. drill — the tool
  8. squash — to crush
  9. charge — a price
  10. land — a country
  11. shower — rain
  12. land — to come down
  13. root — of a word
  14. drill — army training
  15. drill — a practice
  16. root — of a plant
  17. charge — in control
  18. foot — a measure
  19. root — the cause
  20. land — ground
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. charge — electricity
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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