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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. content — the amount
  4. rock — a stone
  5. squash — to crush
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. firm — a company
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. squash — the sport
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. content — happy
  12. firm — steady
  13. snap — to click
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. rock — music
  16. stand — to bear
  17. firm — decided
  18. swing — in golf
  19. swing — to play on
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. swing — music
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. content — videos and posts

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