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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: dip · rash · temple · hide · net · squash · current · wake

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. wake — a trail
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. current — of water
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. dip — to sink
  8. squash — the sport
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. rash — hasty
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. net — in sport
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. rash — a series
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. current — electric
  21. current — happening now
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. net — for catching
  24. net — after costs

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