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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: saw · press · game · swing · squash · cell · lash · rash

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. rash — hasty
  8. game — a match
  9. press — newspapers
  10. swing — to play on
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. squash — the sport
  13. saw — the tool
  14. squash — to crush
  15. saw — the tool
  16. game — wild animals
  17. press — a publisher
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. cell — a phone
  20. rash — a series
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. swing — in golf
  23. swing — music
  24. press — to push

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