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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: cold · squash · prune · saw · rock · arm · press · lash

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. saw — the tool
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. prune — to trim
  8. press — newspapers
  9. press — a publisher
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. rock — a stone
  12. cold — not warm
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. cold — an illness
  16. saw — the tool
  17. rock — music
  18. squash — the sport
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. prune — to trim
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. squash — to crush
  23. press — to push
  24. arm — part of the body

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