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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 120 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 · last · squash · racket · wound · march · track · stand

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. track — a song
  3. track — a path
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. last — final
  6. wound — an injury
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. last — finally
  11. march — the month
  12. squash — to crush
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. march — the month
  16. track — to keep track
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. march — music
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. squash — the sport
  23. last — to go on
  24. wound — an injury

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