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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 116 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 · wound · fine · fan · sharp · press · lean · lash

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. squash — the sport
  8. fine — all right
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. sharp — clever
  11. fine — high quality
  12. press — newspapers
  13. squash — to crush
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. lean — thin
  17. lean — to bend
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. wound — an injury
  22. wound — an injury
  23. press — a publisher
  24. press — to push

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