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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: squash · can · wake · tear · lash · coach · suit · content

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. tear — to rip
  7. content — the amount
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. tear — from crying
  10. suit — in cards
  11. suit — to fit
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. can — a tin
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. content — happy
  16. suit — clothes
  17. can — a tin
  18. squash — to crush
  19. wake — a trail
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. tear — from crying
  23. can — to be able to
  24. content — videos and posts

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