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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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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: bank · fan · lash · track · pound · kid · prune · fall

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. track — to keep track
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. pound — a weight
  6. track — a song
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bank — of a river
  9. kid — child
  10. prune — to trim
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. bank — for money
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. fall — to drop
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. track — a path
  18. fall — to drop
  19. kid — to tease
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. bank — for money
  22. fall — the season
  23. prune — to trim
  24. fan — to cool the air

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