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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: firm · squash · lash · coach · cell · pop · stick · root

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  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. firm — decided
  2. cell — in biology
  3. squash — the sport
  4. pop — to visit
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. firm — steady
  7. pop — soda
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. root — the cause
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. pop — music
  12. root — of a word
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. firm — a company
  18. cell — a phone
  19. root — of a plant
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  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