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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bowl · date · fine · land · mouse · lean · lash · squash

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. lean — thin
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. lean — to bend
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. land — ground
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. squash — the sport
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. fine — high quality
  15. date — the fruit
  16. land — a country
  17. land — to come down
  18. fine — all right
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. squash — to crush
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. bowl — a dish

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