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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
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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: date · nail · lash · mug · squash · pop · ruler · chest

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. chest — a box
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. pop — music
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. squash — to crush
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. squash — the sport
  13. chest — of your body
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. mug — to rob
  16. date — the fruit
  17. mug — a cup
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. pop — soda
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. mug — a face
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. pop — to visit

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