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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 120 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 · shower · mark · lash · last · squash · bear · bowl

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. mark — a trace
  3. net — in sport
  4. net — for catching
  5. bear — the animal
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. net — after costs
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. squash — to crush
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. shower — to wash
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. last — to go on
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. shower — rain
  19. last — final
  20. bear — the animal
  21. mark — a grade
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. squash — the sport
  24. lash — to lash out

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