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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: hide · wake · squash · stand · lash · track · press · bound

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. track — to keep track
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. bound — obliged
  5. bound — tied together
  6. squash — to crush
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. press — to push
  9. stand — to bear
  10. bound — certain
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. squash — the sport
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. press — newspapers
  19. press — a publisher
  20. track — a path
  21. wake — a trail
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. track — a song

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