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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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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: prune · bore · pitcher · hide · object · lash · file · bulb

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. prune — to trim
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. object — a thing
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. file — a document
  10. file — a tool
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. bore — to tire
  14. bore — to drill
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. object — to protest
  19. bulb — for light
  20. file — a line of people
  21. prune — to trim
  22. bulb — for light
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. prune — the fruit

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