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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 120 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
468
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: drill · lash · patient · rash · squash · present · content · shower

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. drill — a practice
  3. squash — the sport
  4. shower — rain
  5. rash — hasty
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. present — there
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. present — a gift
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. content — happy
  16. shower — to wash
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. rash — a series
  19. drill — the tool
  20. present — the time now
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. content — the amount
  24. drill — army training

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