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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: squash · foot · pitcher · kid · trunk · scale · prune · lash

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. kid — to tease
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. scale — in music
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. kid — child
  9. prune — to trim
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. squash — to crush
  17. squash — the sport
  18. foot — a measure
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. prune — to trim
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. scale — size or range

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