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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: squash · staff · can · band · spell · chair · swing · lash

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. swing — in golf
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. squash — to crush
  5. band — a music group
  6. chair — a leader
  7. staff — employees
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. can — a tin
  10. staff — a stick
  11. staff — employees
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. can — a tin
  14. spell — magic
  15. spell — a short time
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. band — a ring
  18. spell — letters
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. swing — music
  21. squash — the sport
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. swing — to play on
  24. chair — a professorship

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