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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: lash · squash · land · bore · hand · ruler · staff · bulb

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. hand — in cards
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. squash — the sport
  5. bulb — for light
  6. land — a country
  7. staff — a stick
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. staff — employees
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. bore — to tire
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. staff — employees
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. hand — help
  17. squash — to crush
  18. bulb — for light
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. land — ground
  21. bore — to drill
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. land — to come down

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