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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: prune · hide · cue · object · kick · row · club · lash

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. prune — to trim
  3. row — to paddle
  4. object — to protest
  5. cue — a signal
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. object — a thing
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. club — for golf
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. club — for dancing
  15. row — a line
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. kick — in football
  18. club — a group
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. object — an aim
  21. prune — to trim
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. cue — a hint

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