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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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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 · hide · lash · firm · drill · roll · toast · cabinet

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. toast — bread
  5. firm — steady
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. drill — the tool
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. firm — decided
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. roll — a cake
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. firm — a company
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. roll — a list
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. drill — army training
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. drill — a practice
  23. squash — to crush
  24. toast — the most admired

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