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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. squash — to crush
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. pop — soda
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. spell — magic
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. branch — a division
  14. spell — a short time
  15. spell — letters
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. pop — to visit
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. lie — to recline
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. pop — music
  22. squash — the sport
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. rush — hurry

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