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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: prune · lash · row · chip · squash · lie · rock · firm

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. row — a line
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. firm — a company
  7. row — to paddle
  8. chip — to eat
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. chip — for betting
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. squash — to crush
  15. rock — a stone
  16. prune — to trim
  17. rock — music
  18. squash — the sport
  19. firm — steady
  20. lie — to recline
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. prune — to trim
  24. squash — the vegetable

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