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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: land · scale · lash · arm · prune · wind · trunk · dip

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. dip — to sink
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. prune — to trim
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. wind — moving air
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. land — a country
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. prune — to trim
  16. scale — size or range
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. land — to come down
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. wind — moving air
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. scale — in music
  24. land — ground

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