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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 116 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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. prune — to trim
  4. cap — a hat
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. cap — of ice
  11. cap — a lid
  12. staff — a stick
  13. staff — employees
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. stand — to bear
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. wake — a trail
  18. staff — employees

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