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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: suit · lash · squash · wound · club · season · perch · key

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. perch — the fish
  4. key — in music
  5. wound — an injury
  6. season — of the year
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. club — a group
  9. suit — in cards
  10. season — in sport
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. club — for golf
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. squash — the sport
  15. wound — an injury
  16. squash — to crush
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. key — the most important part
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. key — for a lock
  21. club — for dancing
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. suit — clothes
  24. suit — to fit

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