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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.

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: bore · file · rash · pitch · land · lash · squash · row

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. row — to paddle
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. file — a tool
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. squash — the sport
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. bore — to tire
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. file — a document
  11. land — to come down
  12. file — a line of people
  13. rash — a series
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. pitch — completely
  16. rash — hasty
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. row — a line
  19. land — a country
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. land — ground
  22. bore — to drill
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. row — a quarrel

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