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

Word bank: prune · mark · rest · season · bound · lash

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. bound — certain
  4. season — in sport
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. mark — a grade
  7. bound — tied together
  8. bound — obliged
  9. mark — a trace
  10. prune — to trim
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. rest — a break
  13. season — of the year
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. prune — to trim
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. rest — what's left

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