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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: lash · chip · foot · band · pass · content · squash · row

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. band — a music group
  3. pass — a permit
  4. content — the amount
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. squash — to crush
  7. band — a ring
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. foot — a measure
  11. row — to paddle
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. row — a line
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. squash — the sport
  18. content — happy
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. chip — for betting
  22. chip — to eat
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. chip — in a computer

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