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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: staff · swing · wind · squash · bowl · lash · toast · snap

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. staff — a stick
  5. squash — the sport
  6. wind — moving air
  7. toast — bread
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. staff — employees
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. wind — moving air
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. swing — to play on
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. swing — music
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. swing — in golf
  22. staff — employees
  23. snap — to click
  24. squash — the vegetable

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