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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: lash · staff · ground · prune · fork · tube · rush · bark

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. ground — a position
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. bark — to shout
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. prune — to trim
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. staff — employees
  14. prune — to trim
  15. fork — in a road
  16. staff — employees
  17. tube — a container
  18. staff — a stick
  19. tube — the underground
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. rush — hurry
  23. ground — crushed
  24. ground — the earth

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