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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: lash · wake · perch · pop · wound · rush · squash · track

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. pop — music
  6. rush — hurry
  7. squash — to crush
  8. track — a path
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. wound — an injury
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. wake — a trail
  15. perch — the fish
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. track — a song
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. pop — to visit
  20. pop — soda
  21. squash — the sport
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. track — to keep track
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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