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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: prune · fine · lash · bark · saw · rule · last · firm

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. firm — a company
  3. firm — decided
  4. firm — steady
  5. fine — high quality
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. last — finally
  9. rule — government
  10. fine — all right
  11. last — to go on
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. rule — a law
  17. prune — to trim
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. saw — the tool
  20. bark — to shout
  21. last — final
  22. saw — the tool
  23. prune — to trim
  24. lash — to lash out

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