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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: squash · chip · spell · cabinet · pitcher · stick · lash · rash

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. squash — the sport
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. rash — hasty
  8. spell — letters
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. chip — to eat
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. chip — for betting
  14. rash — a series
  15. spell — magic
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. squash — to crush
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. spell — a short time

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