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

Word bank: lash · cue · bound · chip · firm · toast · prune · squash

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. cue — a hint
  3. bound — certain
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. firm — steady
  6. chip — for betting
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. bound — tied together
  9. prune — to trim
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. bound — obliged
  12. firm — decided
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. cue — for pool
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. firm — a company
  17. cue — a signal
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. toast — bread
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. chip — to eat
  23. squash — the sport
  24. prune — to trim

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