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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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468
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: stick · mark · hand · craft · stand · prune · rash · lash

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. prune — to trim
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. mark — a trace
  5. rash — hasty
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. hand — in cards
  9. hand — help
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. prune — to trim
  13. rash — a series
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. mark — a grade
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. craft — boats
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. craft — a skill
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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