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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: date · lash · branch · saw · ball · fan · prune · rest

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. prune — to trim
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. rest — what's left
  5. date — the fruit
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. rest — what's left
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. prune — to trim
  11. ball — a great time
  12. saw — the tool
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. saw — the tool
  18. ball — a dance
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. rest — a break
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. branch — a division

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