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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 · spring · content · racket · foot · squash · jam · fall

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. content — the amount
  6. content — happy
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. squash — the sport
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. foot — a measure
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. fall — the season
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. spring — of water
  17. fall — to drop
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. spring — a coil
  20. spring — the season
  21. fall — to drop
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. squash — to crush
  24. lash — an eyelash

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