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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 · scale · mine · dip · tear · calf · lash · ruler

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. tear — from crying
  3. scale — size or range
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. prune — to trim
  8. scale — in music
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. prune — to trim
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. tear — from crying
  23. dip — to sink
  24. tear — to rip

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