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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: fall · toast · rush · squash · mug · lash · craft · board

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. board — to get on
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. board — a committee
  5. fall — to drop
  6. craft — a skill
  7. fall — to drop
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. craft — boats
  11. squash — the sport
  12. mug — a cup
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. fall — the season
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. mug — to rob
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. toast — bread
  23. rush — hurry
  24. squash — to crush

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