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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.

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: ball · wind · suit · foot · season · lash · rash · prune

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. prune — to trim
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. season — of the year
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. ball — a great time
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. wind — moving air
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. suit — in cards
  14. rash — a series
  15. suit — clothes
  16. ball — a dance
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. prune — to trim
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. season — in sport
  22. foot — a measure
  23. wind — moving air
  24. suit — to fit

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