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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: squash · straw · lash · track · mine · object · perch · fork

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. track — a song
  5. object — an aim
  6. track — to keep track
  7. squash — to crush
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. perch — the fish
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. squash — the sport
  15. object — a thing
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. object — to protest
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. mine — for digging
  20. track — a path
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. fork — in a road

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