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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: present · scale · rash · squash · prune · key · hand · cell

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. rash — a series
  4. hand — in cards
  5. scale — size or range
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. prune — to trim
  8. key — the most important part
  9. key — in music
  10. squash — the sport
  11. present — there
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. hand — help
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. present — a gift
  17. cell — in biology
  18. prune — to trim
  19. squash — to crush
  20. cell — a phone
  21. rash — hasty
  22. key — for a lock
  23. scale — in music
  24. prune — the fruit

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