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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: rush · squash · deal · lash · perch · land · row · firm

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. firm — a company
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. land — a country
  6. perch — the fish
  7. row — to paddle
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. deal — to handle
  10. firm — decided
  11. squash — the sport
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. rush — hurry
  15. squash — to crush
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. land — to come down
  19. firm — steady
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. row — a line
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. land — ground

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