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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: dip · pass · coach · squash · hand · lash · file · bore

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. squash — to crush
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. file — a tool
  9. bore — to drill
  10. bore — to tire
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. hand — help
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. dip — to sink
  15. file — a document
  16. pass — a permit
  17. file — a line of people
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. squash — the sport
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. hand — in cards

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