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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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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: chest · cue · object · bay · stick · squash · lash · hand

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. chest — a box
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. hand — help
  6. object — an aim
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. chest — of your body
  12. object — to protest
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. hand — in cards
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. squash — to crush
  19. cue — a hint
  20. cue — a signal
  21. cue — for pool
  22. object — a thing
  23. squash — the sport
  24. chest — of your body

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