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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: sharp · prune · firm · lash · bark · season · roll · clip

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. firm — a company
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. sharp — clever
  5. firm — decided
  6. roll — a cake
  7. clip — to cut
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. prune — to trim
  10. clip — a video
  11. season — of the year
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. bark — to shout
  18. prune — to trim
  19. firm — steady
  20. clip — for paper
  21. roll — a list
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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