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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 120 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: squash · stick · key · leaves · kid · prune · cue · row

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. key — in music
  6. row — to paddle
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. cue — a signal
  9. key — the most important part
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. cue — for pool
  12. row — a line
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. prune — to trim
  15. kid — to tease
  16. key — for a lock
  17. prune — to trim
  18. kid — child
  19. cue — a hint
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. squash — the sport
  24. prune — the fruit

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