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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: lash · ruler · racket · game · squash · straw · deal · date

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. game — wild animals
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. squash — to crush
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. game — a match
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. squash — the sport
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. deal — to handle
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. date — the fruit
  24. deal — a big deal

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