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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: cabinet · wound · kick · stand · prune · squash · cue · racket

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cue — a signal
  4. prune — to trim
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. prune — to trim
  10. kick — in football
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. cue — for pool
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. stand — to bear
  18. squash — to crush
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. wound — an injury
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. cue — a hint
  24. squash — the sport

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