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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
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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: fine · saw · prune · lash · spring · field · key · stick

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. spring — a coil
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. prune — to trim
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. key — the most important part
  10. spring — of water
  11. saw — the tool
  12. key — in music
  13. spring — the season
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. key — for a lock
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. saw — the tool
  19. field — a subject
  20. fine — all right
  21. field — farmland
  22. prune — to trim
  23. fine — high quality
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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