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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 · leaves · saw · nail · prune · bass · fan · fall

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. prune — to trim
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. prune — to trim
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. saw — the tool
  13. saw — the tool
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. fall — the season
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fall — to drop
  23. bass — the fish
  24. bass — low music

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