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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
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: lash · ground · stick · prune · net · wound · mouse · plane

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. net — in sport
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. wound — an injury
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. ground — the earth
  10. plane — a tool
  11. wound — an injury
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. ground — crushed
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. ground — a position
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. net — after costs
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. net — for catching
  23. prune — to trim
  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