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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: spell · wound · lash · prune · march · pound · sharp · row

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. row — to paddle
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. spell — letters
  5. prune — to trim
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. wound — an injury
  8. march — the month
  9. spell — a short time
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. pound — a weight
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. march — the month
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. sharp — clever
  18. march — music
  19. row — a line
  20. spell — magic
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. prune — to trim

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