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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: track · squash · rock · wind · mine · straw · dip · lash

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. track — a path
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. wind — moving air
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. mine — for digging
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. track — to keep track
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. squash — the sport
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. rock — music
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. track — a song
  19. rock — a stone
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. wind — moving air
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. squash — to crush

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