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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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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: wake · wound · squash · snap · mouse · pound · lash · spring

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. spring — the season
  4. wound — an injury
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. snap — to click
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. pound — a weight
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. squash — to crush
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. wake — a trail
  16. squash — the sport
  17. wound — an injury
  18. spring — a coil
  19. spring — of water
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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