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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: squash · march · lash · tear · rest · craft · wave · content

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. march — the month
  5. rest — what's left
  6. craft — a skill
  7. content — the amount
  8. march — music
  9. march — the month
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. rest — a break
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. squash — the sport
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. tear — from crying
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. rest — what's left
  19. craft — boats
  20. squash — to crush
  21. tear — to rip
  22. content — happy
  23. tear — from crying
  24. content — videos and posts

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