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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.

Make a worksheet

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 · mine · date · game · safe · lie · squash · rest

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. game — wild animals
  3. rest — what's left
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. date — the fruit
  7. game — a match
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. lie — to recline
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. squash — to crush
  18. rest — what's left
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. mine — for digging
  23. squash — the sport
  24. lash — to lash out

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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