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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: squash · chest · saw · tube · safe · lash

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. saw — the tool
  4. chest — of your body
  5. saw — the tool
  6. tube — the underground
  7. squash — to crush
  8. squash — the sport
  9. chest — of your body
  10. tube — a container
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. chest — a box
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. safe — a strongbox

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