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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: root · hide · cabinet · wake · lash · patient · pop · squash

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. squash — the sport
  5. pop — soda
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. root — the cause
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. pop — to visit
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. wake — a trail
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. root — of a word
  18. root — of a plant
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. pop — music
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. hide — animal skin

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