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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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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 · wake · rest · lean · spring · lash · row · clip

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. spring — the season
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. lean — thin
  6. row — a line
  7. spring — a coil
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. lean — to bend
  11. rest — a break
  12. wake — a trail
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. spring — of water
  15. rest — what's left
  16. clip — to cut
  17. clip — a video
  18. squash — the sport
  19. clip — for paper
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. rest — what's left
  22. squash — to crush
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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