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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: field · lean · mouse · lash · face · prune · rest · object

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. object — to protest
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. face — to confront
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. face — to point toward
  7. lean — thin
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. object — an aim
  10. field — for sport
  11. field — a subject
  12. face — part of the head
  13. lean — to bend
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. rest — what's left
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. rest — what's left
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. prune — to trim
  22. rest — a break
  23. field — farmland
  24. object — a thing

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