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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: bear · can · lash · bowl · prune · pitcher · wake · mug

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. can — a tin
  9. bear — the animal
  10. can — to be able to
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. mug — a cup
  13. prune — to trim
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. can — a tin
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. mug — a face
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. wake — a trail
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. prune — to trim
  23. bear — the animal
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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