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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. clip — a video
  6. cap — a lid
  7. squash — to crush
  8. clip — for paper
  9. squash — the sport
  10. fine — all right
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. row — a line
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. cap — a hat
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. cap — of ice
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. row — to paddle
  23. fine — high quality
  24. clip — to cut

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