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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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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: lash · prune · scale · cue · band · bulb

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. cue — a signal
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — for light
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. prune — to trim
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. scale — in music
  13. cue — for pool
  14. cue — a hint
  15. prune — to trim
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. scale — size or range
  18. band — a ring

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