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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.

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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: cue · prune · bank · object · lash · pit · fall · racket

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. object — to protest
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. cue — a signal
  6. object — a thing
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. fall — to drop
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. pit — in a race
  11. pit — a hole
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. bank — of a river
  14. prune — to trim
  15. prune — to trim
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. cue — a hint
  18. bank — for money
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. object — an aim
  21. fall — the season
  22. cue — for pool
  23. fall — to drop
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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