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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.

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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: object · squash · lash · bear · shower · rock · band · fork

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. object — to protest
  5. rock — a stone
  6. rock — music
  7. object — an aim
  8. squash — the sport
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. object — a thing
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. bear — the animal
  13. shower — to wash
  14. shower — rain
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. band — a ring
  18. bear — the animal
  19. fork — in a road
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. band — a music group
  24. bear — to put up with

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