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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: snap · lash · squash · craft · roll · track · field · lean

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. track — a path
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. squash — to crush
  7. craft — a skill
  8. roll — a list
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. snap — to click
  11. field — a subject
  12. roll — a cake
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. track — to keep track
  15. squash — the sport
  16. field — farmland
  17. craft — boats
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. track — a song
  21. lean — to bend
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. field — for sport
  24. squash — the vegetable

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