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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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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: race · swing · deal · toast · ruler · squash · game · lash

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. game — a match
  5. toast — bread
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. race — the arms race
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. race — a contest
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. swing — in golf
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. swing — to play on
  16. deal — to handle
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. swing — music
  20. squash — the sport
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. game — wild animals
  23. squash — to crush
  24. toast — the most admired

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