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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: clip · dip · rash · wake · prune · squash · current · lie

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. squash — to crush
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. current — of water
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. lie — to recline
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. current — happening now
  11. dip — to sink
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. clip — a video
  16. prune — to trim
  17. wake — a trail
  18. current — electric
  19. clip — to cut
  20. clip — for paper
  21. rash — hasty
  22. squash — the sport
  23. rash — a series
  24. lie — an untruth

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