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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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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. prune — to trim
  4. fall — to drop
  5. rush — hurry
  6. pop — to visit
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. wax — to grow
  9. pop — music
  10. bank — for money
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. bank — of a river
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. prune — to trim
  16. fall — to drop
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. bank — for money
  21. pop — soda
  22. fall — the season
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. racket — a loud noise

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