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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: prune · bore · arm · leaves · last · tube · saw · lash

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. prune — to trim
  5. bore — to tire
  6. tube — a container
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. last — final
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. bore — to drill
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. last — to go on
  18. prune — to trim
  19. tube — the underground
  20. saw — the tool
  21. last — finally
  22. saw — the tool
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. lash — to lash out

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