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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: safe · ground · lash · hand · squash · rush · ball · pass

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. ball — a dance
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. ground — a position
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. hand — in cards
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. rush — hurry
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. squash — to crush
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. hand — help
  19. pass — a permit
  20. ball — a great time
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. ground — crushed
  24. ground — the earth

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