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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · wound · lash · shower · mug · spell · track · coach

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. track — a path
  4. track — to keep track
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. spell — magic
  7. squash — to crush
  8. wound — an injury
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. shower — to wash
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. mug — a cup
  16. track — a song
  17. spell — letters
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. squash — the sport
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. mug — a face
  22. wound — an injury
  23. shower — rain
  24. spell — a short time

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