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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: mine · squash · lash · staff · bulb · dip · pit · swing

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. staff — employees
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. pit — a hole
  6. swing — music
  7. swing — to play on
  8. squash — the sport
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. bulb — for light
  11. swing — in golf
  12. mine — for digging
  13. staff — employees
  14. squash — to crush
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. bulb — for light
  17. pit — in a race
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. staff — a stick
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. dip — to sink
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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