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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: dip · leaves · lash · bear · object · prune · rush · squash

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. object — to protest
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. bear — the animal
  6. prune — to trim
  7. dip — to sink
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. object — a thing
  12. object — an aim
  13. squash — to crush
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. rush — hurry
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. prune — to trim
  20. bear — the animal
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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