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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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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 · wind · kick · lash · net · craft · suit · bay

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. net — in sport
  3. squash — the sport
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. suit — in cards
  6. suit — to fit
  7. net — after costs
  8. squash — to crush
  9. craft — a skill
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. wind — moving air
  12. net — for catching
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. suit — clothes
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. kick — in football
  20. craft — boats
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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