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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 120 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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. file — a line of people
  5. file — a document
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. hand — help
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. file — a tool
  12. rush — hurry
  13. bear — the animal
  14. pass — a permit
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. squash — the sport
  19. hand — in cards
  20. bear — the animal
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. fan — to cool the air

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