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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: lean · hide · lash · sharp · bank · prune · season · row

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. bank — for money
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. prune — to trim
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. season — of the year
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. lean — to bend
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. row — to paddle
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. sharp — clever
  17. season — in sport
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. bank — for money
  20. row — a line
  21. lean — thin
  22. prune — to trim
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. bank — of a river

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