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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. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. last — to go on
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. mark — a trace
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. last — finally
  7. pop — to visit
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. ball — a dance
  12. pop — soda
  13. mark — a grade
  14. squash — the sport
  15. ball — a great time
  16. squash — to crush
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. last — final
  19. pop — music
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. cabinet — ministers

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