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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  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. prune — the fruit
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. saw — the tool
  4. track — a path
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. saw — the tool
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. scale — in music
  10. prune — to trim
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. track — to keep track
  13. track — a song
  14. bank — for money
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. bank — for money
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. prune — to trim
  22. bank — of a river
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  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