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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 120 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: squash · cap · lash · content · field · staff · craft · fine

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. squash — to crush
  3. craft — boats
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. fine — all right
  6. staff — employees
  7. field — a subject
  8. content — happy
  9. field — for sport
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. cap — a lid
  12. content — the amount
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. field — farmland
  15. craft — a skill
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. cap — a hat
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. fine — high quality
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. squash — the sport
  22. staff — a stick
  23. staff — employees
  24. cap — of ice

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