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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
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: swing · file · lash · last · rush · bowl · squash · dip

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. swing — music
  4. squash — to crush
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. rush — hurry
  8. file — a tool
  9. last — finally
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. dip — to sink
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. last — final
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. file — a line of people
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. file — a document
  20. squash — the sport
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. swing — to play on
  23. last — to go on
  24. swing — in golf

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