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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
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: pit · lash · wake · safe · prune · game · spell · spring

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. spring — a coil
  5. spell — letters
  6. spring — of water
  7. spell — magic
  8. pit — a hole
  9. prune — to trim
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. pit — in a race
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. game — wild animals
  18. game — a match
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. spell — a short time
  21. prune — to trim
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. wake — a trail

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