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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: bound · track · face · squash · spell · mark · wave · lash

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. face — to confront
  3. track — a song
  4. spell — letters
  5. face — part of the head
  6. bound — certain
  7. face — to point toward
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. track — a path
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. spell — a short time
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. track — to keep track
  15. squash — to crush
  16. bound — obliged
  17. mark — a grade
  18. spell — magic
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. bound — tied together
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. mark — a trace

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