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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: patient · wound · squash · rush · kick · pound · mouse · lash

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  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. wound — an injury
  2. kick — in football
  3. squash — to crush
  4. rush — hurry
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. squash — the sport
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. pound — a weight
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. wound — an injury
  23. rush — a thrill
  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