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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. clip — for paper
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. clip — a video
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. squash — to crush
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. clip — to cut
  12. track — a path
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. prune — to trim
  15. track — a song
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. track — to keep track
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. rush — hurry
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. prune — to trim
  24. bark — to shout

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