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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: fall · rest · craft · wave · lash · prune · stand · ball

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. prune — to trim
  5. craft — a skill
  6. rest — what's left
  7. craft — boats
  8. stand — to bear
  9. fall — to drop
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. ball — a great time
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. ball — a dance
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. fall — the season
  20. prune — to trim
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. rest — a break
  23. fall — to drop
  24. rest — what's left

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