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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: land · chest · rush · squash · fine · fork · lash · cabinet

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. fine — all right
  3. chest — of your body
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. rush — hurry
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. land — to come down
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. land — ground
  12. chest — a box
  13. squash — to crush
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. squash — the sport
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. land — a country
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. fine — high quality
  23. chest — of your body
  24. fork — in a road

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