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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: deal · mouse · row · drill · lash · squash · chip · spell

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. spell — a short time
  3. row — a line
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. squash — to crush
  6. deal — to handle
  7. chip — to eat
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. drill — the tool
  10. spell — magic
  11. squash — the sport
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. row — to paddle
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. spell — letters
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. chip — for betting
  24. drill — army training

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