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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: chest · wound · cue · lash · prune · rash · mouse · object

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. rash — a series
  3. object — an aim
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. cue — a signal
  7. chest — of your body
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. object — a thing
  10. rash — hasty
  11. prune — to trim
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. cue — a hint
  14. cue — for pool
  15. chest — a box
  16. wound — an injury
  17. chest — of your body
  18. prune — to trim
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. object — to protest
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. wound — an injury

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