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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: pop · key · squash · deal · fork · stem · shower · lash

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. shower — to wash
  4. key — the most important part
  5. key — in music
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. deal — to handle
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. fork — in a road
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. pop — to visit
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. pop — music
  18. stem — to come from
  19. pop — soda
  20. squash — the sport
  21. key — for a lock
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. squash — to crush

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