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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: wave · lash · press · craft · stem · chip · wake · squash

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. press — to push
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. stem — to come from
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. wake — a trail
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. chip — to eat
  17. chip — for betting
  18. squash — the sport
  19. craft — a skill
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. craft — boats
  23. press — a publisher
  24. press — newspapers

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