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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: bank · hide · vault · scale · patient · prune · lash · saw

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. saw — the tool
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. bank — for money
  7. scale — in music
  8. bank — for money
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. vault — a safe
  15. saw — the tool
  16. prune — to trim
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. scale — size or range
  21. bank — of a river
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. hide — to keep secret

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