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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: lash · march · bore · bear · squash · rest · swing · prune

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. march — music
  3. squash — the sport
  4. swing — in golf
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. march — the month
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. rest — what's left
  12. swing — to play on
  13. bear — the animal
  14. swing — music
  15. rest — a break
  16. bear — the animal
  17. prune — to trim
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. squash — to crush
  20. rest — what's left
  21. bore — to tire
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. bore — to drill
  24. march — the month

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