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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: pit · ball · plane · rush · lash · clip · present · squash

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. present — there
  3. squash — to crush
  4. present — a gift
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. clip — for paper
  7. pit — a hole
  8. clip — a video
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. squash — the sport
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. ball — a dance
  14. clip — to cut
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. ball — a great time
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. rush — hurry
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. pit — in a race
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. plane — a tool

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