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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. game — wild animals
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. net — in sport
  5. drill — a practice
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. rule — government
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. net — for catching
  11. track — to keep track
  12. track — a song
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. lean — thin
  15. drill — the tool
  16. drill — army training
  17. track — a path
  18. lean — to bend
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. net — after costs
  21. game — a match
  22. squash — to crush
  23. squash — the sport
  24. rule — a law

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