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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 got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. hand — help
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. drill — a practice
  13. bass — the fish
  14. squash — to crush
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. drill — army training
  18. bass — low music
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. squash — the sport
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. drill — the tool

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