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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: lash · dip · spring · prune · rest · ground · deal · key

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. prune — to trim
  3. key — the most important part
  4. ground — the earth
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. spring — the season
  7. prune — to trim
  8. key — for a lock
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. deal — to handle
  15. ground — crushed
  16. spring — of water
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rest — what's left
  19. key — in music
  20. ground — a position
  21. spring — a coil
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. dip — to sink
  24. prune — the fruit

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