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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: nail · row · squash · prune · patient · club · wind · rock

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. rock — a stone
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. wind — moving air
  7. prune — to trim
  8. club — a group
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. club — for golf
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. rock — music
  14. squash — the sport
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. row — to paddle
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. wind — moving air
  21. club — for dancing
  22. row — a line
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. prune — to trim

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