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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: drill · board · lash · land · foot · straw · rock · squash

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. land — a country
  3. land — to come down
  4. drill — a practice
  5. rock — a stone
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. drill — army training
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. squash — the sport
  10. squash — to crush
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. drill — the tool
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. land — ground
  16. board — a committee
  17. foot — a measure
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. board — to get on
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. rock — music

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