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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. firm — decided
  4. rock — a stone
  5. bat — the animal
  6. firm — steady
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. date — the fruit
  9. snap — to click
  10. rock — music
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. squash — to crush
  17. firm — a company
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. mouse — the animal

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