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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 116 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: key · hand · spring · track · squash · prune · lash · bulb

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. track — to keep track
  4. bulb — for light
  5. track — a song
  6. prune — to trim
  7. spring — a coil
  8. key — the most important part
  9. spring — of water
  10. key — for a lock
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. bulb — for light
  13. spring — the season
  14. squash — to crush
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. track — a path
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. key — in music
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. hand — help
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. squash — the sport
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. hand — in cards

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