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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.

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: squash · swing · rash · scale · dip · arm · key · bore

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. bore — to drill
  4. swing — music
  5. scale — in music
  6. squash — the sport
  7. key — in music
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. dip — to sink
  10. rash — hasty
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. scale — size or range
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. rash — a series
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. swing — in golf
  17. bore — to tire
  18. key — for a lock
  19. key — the most important part
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. swing — to play on
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. dip — to dunk

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