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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 120 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: can · lash · squash · suit · hide · wound · wind · cell

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. cell — in biology
  3. can — to be able to
  4. wind — moving air
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. wound — an injury
  8. wound — an injury
  9. cell — a phone
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. suit — in cards
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. wind — moving air
  14. can — a tin
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. suit — to fit
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. squash — to crush
  20. can — a tin
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. suit — clothes
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. squash — the 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