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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 116 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 · lash · wound · lie · stick · fine · straw · racket

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. squash — to crush
  3. fine — high quality
  4. wound — an injury
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. fine — all right
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. wound — an injury
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. squash — the sport
  23. lie — to recline
  24. straw — a straw man

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