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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.

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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: bulb · hide · tube · kick · mark · straw · lash · prune

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. kick — in football
  3. prune — to trim
  4. mark — a grade
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. prune — to trim
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. tube — a container
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. bulb — for light
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. mark — a trace
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. bulb — for light
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. tube — the underground
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. kick — a thrill

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