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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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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: rash · squash · pound · clip · lash · rule · calf · bay

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. squash — the sport
  3. squash — to crush
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. rule — a law
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. clip — for paper
  8. rash — a series
  9. rash — hasty
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. rule — government
  16. clip — to cut
  17. clip — a video
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. pound — a weight
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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