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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.

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: squash · track · straw · fine · safe · snap · lash · game

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. track — a path
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. squash — the sport
  7. game — a match
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. snap — to click
  10. track — a song
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. fine — all right
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. game — wild animals
  17. track — to keep track
  18. squash — to crush
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. fine — high quality
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. safe — out of danger

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