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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: wake · prune · staff · mouse · content · bark · lash · can

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. bark — to shout
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. staff — a stick
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. staff — employees
  8. prune — to trim
  9. content — happy
  10. can — a tin
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. prune — to trim
  13. wake — a trail
  14. content — the amount
  15. staff — employees
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. can — a tin
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. can — to be able to

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