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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: tube · wind · net · wave · squash · mark · mate · lash

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. tube — a container
  3. mate — a friend
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. net — for catching
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. tube — the underground
  10. net — after costs
  11. squash — the sport
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. wind — moving air
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. mark — a trace
  19. squash — to crush
  20. mate — to breed
  21. mark — a grade
  22. wind — moving air
  23. mate — a partner
  24. net — in sport

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