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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: bore · bowl · game · band · lash · mark · squash · spell

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. spell — magic
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. spell — a short time
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. squash — to crush
  11. bore — to tire
  12. bore — to drill
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. game — wild animals
  15. band — a ring
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. game — a match
  18. squash — the sport
  19. spell — letters
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. mark — a grade
  22. mark — a trace
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. band — a music group

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