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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: chest · file · spell · squash · lash · rock · foot · content

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  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. file — a line of people
  2. squash — to crush
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. content — happy
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. spell — a short time
  8. file — a tool
  9. foot — a measure
  10. chest — of your body
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. content — the amount
  13. chest — of your body
  14. squash — the sport
  15. spell — letters
  16. file — a document
  17. rock — a stone
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. spell — magic
  20. rock — music
  21. chest — a box
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. lash — to lash out

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