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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. band — a ring
  4. stem — to come from
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. band — a music group
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. squash — the sport
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. kick — in football
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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