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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.

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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: staff · spring · rest · squash · lash · can · chip · rash

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. squash — the sport
  5. staff — a stick
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. rash — a series
  9. chip — for betting
  10. can — a tin
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. squash — to crush
  13. rest — what's left
  14. chip — to eat
  15. staff — employees
  16. rest — a break
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. rash — hasty
  19. rest — what's left
  20. can — a tin
  21. spring — a coil
  22. spring — the season
  23. spring — of water
  24. staff — employees

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