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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.

Make a worksheet

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: fan · wake · kick · object · prune · saw · coach · lash

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. prune — to trim
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. prune — to trim
  6. saw — the tool
  7. saw — the tool
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. object — an aim
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. kick — in football
  14. object — to protest
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. object — a thing
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. wake — a trail
  24. fan — a supporter

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