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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. rush — hurry
  3. season — in sport
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. squash — to crush
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. season — of the year
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. vault — a safe
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. season — to add flavour

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