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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: lash · squash · safe · stick · race · jam · bass · prune

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. race — humankind
  5. bass — the fish
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. squash — the sport
  8. prune — to trim
  9. squash — to crush
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. prune — to trim
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. race — the arms race
  14. race — a contest
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. bass — low music
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. bass — the instrument

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