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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: rock · prune · lash · bulb · saw · wound · fine · ball

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. rock — music
  3. prune — to trim
  4. bulb — for light
  5. saw — the tool
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. prune — to trim
  8. wound — an injury
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. saw — the tool
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. fine — all right
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. rock — a stone
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. ball — a dance
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. ball — a great time
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. wound — an injury
  24. bulb — for light

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