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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. squash — to crush
  3. can — a tin
  4. charge — a price
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. cap — a lid
  8. squash — the sport
  9. club — for golf
  10. can — a tin
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. charge — in control
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. cap — a hat
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. can — to be able to
  18. cap — of ice
  19. club — for dancing
  20. wake — a trail
  21. club — a group
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. charge — electricity
  24. arm — part of the body

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