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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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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: prune · drill · bear · stick · lash · mate · club · net

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. drill — the tool
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. net — for catching
  5. bear — the animal
  6. club — for dancing
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. club — a group
  11. bear — the animal
  12. net — in sport
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. mate — a partner
  15. club — for golf
  16. mate — a friend
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. net — after costs
  19. mate — to breed
  20. prune — to trim
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. drill — a practice
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. drill — army training

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