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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: track · squash · trunk · wake · hand · current · arm · lash

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. squash — to crush
  3. wake — a trail
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. squash — the sport
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. current — happening now
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. hand — in cards
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. current — of water
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. hand — help
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. current — electric
  21. track — to keep track
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. track — a song
  24. track — a path

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