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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 116 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: scale · swing · lash · rush · squash · bore · chip · mug

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. mug — a cup
  5. chip — to eat
  6. swing — music
  7. squash — to crush
  8. squash — the sport
  9. rush — hurry
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. mug — to rob
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. scale — in music
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. chip — for betting
  18. bore — to tire
  19. scale — size or range
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. swing — to play on
  22. swing — in golf
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. mug — a face

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