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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 · mouse · bear · pitch · lash · wake · stand · file

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. file — a line of people
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. file — a tool
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. squash — to crush
  14. bear — the animal
  15. file — a document
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. stand — to bear
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. bear — the animal
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. squash — the sport
  24. pitch — completely

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