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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.

Make a worksheet

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: kick · nail · land · squash · game · bowl · lash · mine

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. kick — in football
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. mine — for digging
  9. land — ground
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. squash — the sport
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. land — a country
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. squash — to crush
  18. game — a match
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. land — to come down
  22. game — wild animals
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. bowl — to roll

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