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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.

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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: lash · degree · prune · scale · mug · squash · rule · rush

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. mug — to rob
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. prune — to trim
  6. squash — to crush
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. rush — hurry
  9. scale — in music
  10. scale — size or range
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. mug — a cup
  13. squash — the sport
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. prune — to trim
  17. degree — from a university
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. rule — a law
  21. degree — temperature
  22. mug — a face
  23. degree — an amount
  24. rule — government

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