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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: squash · spell · lean · game · clip · staff · cabinet · lash

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. game — wild animals
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. spell — a short time
  6. lean — thin
  7. lean — to bend
  8. spell — letters
  9. clip — to cut
  10. game — a match
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. staff — employees
  15. spell — magic
  16. squash — to crush
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. staff — employees
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. clip — a video
  21. squash — the sport
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. clip — for paper
  24. squash — the vegetable

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