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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: saw · nail · mate · chair · cabinet · squash · lash · rush

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. mate — a partner
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. saw — the tool
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. squash — the sport
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. mate — a friend
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. chair — a leader
  19. squash — to crush
  20. saw — the tool
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. mate — to breed
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. rush — hurry

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