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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: arm · squash · scale · lash · hide · root · cell · rock

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. scale — size or range
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. root — the cause
  7. cell — a phone
  8. rock — a stone
  9. rock — music
  10. root — of a word
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. cell — in biology
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. scale — in music
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. root — of a plant
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. squash — the sport
  20. squash — to crush
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. arm — a part of something

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