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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. bass — the fish
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. object — a thing
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. prune — to trim
  9. object — an aim
  10. fork — in a road
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. land — ground
  13. bass — low music
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. land — a country
  16. object — to protest
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. land — to come down

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