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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: squash · key · kick · date · prune · suit · hide · row

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. squash — to crush
  3. key — for a lock
  4. key — the most important part
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. key — in music
  8. squash — the sport
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. row — a line
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. prune — to trim
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. kick — in football
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. row — to paddle
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. suit — in cards
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. suit — clothes
  22. prune — to trim
  23. date — the fruit
  24. suit — to fit

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