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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: lash · squash · net · wave · rash · saw · fine · rest

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. rash — hasty
  3. net — for catching
  4. rest — what's left
  5. fine — high quality
  6. saw — the tool
  7. net — after costs
  8. rest — a break
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. rash — a series
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. net — in sport
  17. fine — all right
  18. squash — to crush
  19. rest — what's left
  20. saw — the tool
  21. squash — the sport
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. lash — to lash out

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