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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: bulb · bore · hand · scale · dip · spell · lash · prune

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. hand — help
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. hand — in cards
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. prune — to trim
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. prune — to trim
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. bulb — for light
  13. spell — magic
  14. bore — to drill
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. scale — size or range
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. dip — to sink
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. bulb — for light
  21. scale — in music
  22. spell — letters
  23. bore — to tire
  24. dip — a sauce

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