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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: spell · firm · degree · hand · mouse · squash · lash · saw

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. degree — an amount
  3. spell — magic
  4. saw — the tool
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. degree — temperature
  7. saw — the tool
  8. spell — letters
  9. firm — a company
  10. firm — steady
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. squash — the sport
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. firm — decided
  17. hand — help
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. degree — from a university
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. hand — in cards
  23. squash — to crush
  24. mouse — the animal

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