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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.

Make a worksheet

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: squash · drill · pit · ball · saw · lash · last · bat

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. saw — the tool
  3. last — to go on
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. last — finally
  9. drill — the tool
  10. ball — a great time
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. pit — in a race
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. drill — army training
  15. saw — the tool
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. pit — a hole
  19. drill — a practice
  20. bat — the animal
  21. squash — to crush
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. squash — the sport
  24. last — final

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