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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
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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: net · saw · track · squash · rush · lash · coach · current

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. saw — the tool
  3. net — for catching
  4. current — happening now
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. current — electric
  11. track — to keep track
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. track — a path
  14. current — of water
  15. net — after costs
  16. rush — hurry
  17. saw — the tool
  18. squash — to crush
  19. net — in sport
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. track — a song
  23. squash — the sport
  24. rush — to hurry

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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