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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: squash · fine · rush · dip · wax · lash · row · content

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. squash — the sport
  3. rush — hurry
  4. content — happy
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. fine — high quality
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. row — to paddle
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. wax — to grow
  15. dip — to sink
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. row — a line
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. fine — all right
  24. content — the amount

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