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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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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: can · wake · lash · perch · board · toast · cap · squash

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. can — a tin
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. can — to be able to
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. cap — of ice
  8. wake — a trail
  9. squash — the sport
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. board — to get on
  12. cap — a hat
  13. can — a tin
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. squash — to crush
  17. cap — a lid
  18. board — a committee
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. perch — the fish
  22. toast — bread
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. lash — an eyelash

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