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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: squash · sharp · land · swing · lie · lash · prune · chest

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. lie — to recline
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. squash — the sport
  6. chest — of your body
  7. chest — a box
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. land — ground
  11. squash — to crush
  12. swing — music
  13. chest — of your body
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. sharp — clever
  16. swing — in golf
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. swing — to play on
  19. prune — to trim
  20. prune — to trim
  21. land — to come down
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. land — a country

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