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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 · ball · hand · shower · season · rush · firm

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  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. prune — to trim
  2. ball — a great time
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. prune — to trim
  5. season — of the year
  6. ball — a dance
  7. firm — steady
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. hand — help
  10. rush — hurry
  11. season — in sport
  12. firm — a company
  13. hand — in cards
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. firm — decided
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. shower — to wash
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. shower — rain
  24. lash — to lash out

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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