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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.

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: prune · lash · rest · patient · bass · drill · can · key

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. key — for a lock
  3. key — in music
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. prune — to trim
  6. drill — army training
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rest — what's left
  11. bass — low music
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. can — a tin
  14. can — a tin
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. bass — the fish
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. rest — a break
  19. key — the most important part
  20. drill — a practice
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. prune — to trim
  24. drill — the tool

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