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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 116 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: mug · squash · saw · rule · land · mate · court · lash

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. mug — a face
  3. land — to come down
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. land — ground
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. rule — a law
  8. mate — a partner
  9. court — of law
  10. saw — the tool
  11. rule — government
  12. land — a country
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. court — of a king
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. mug — a cup
  19. mate — a friend
  20. mate — to breed
  21. saw — the tool
  22. court — for sport
  23. squash — to crush
  24. mug — to rob

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