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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 120 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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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 · rest · prune · firm · fall · tube · game · cabinet

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. rest — what's left
  3. firm — a company
  4. fall — to drop
  5. prune — to trim
  6. game — a match
  7. fall — the season
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. tube — the underground
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rest — a break
  19. fall — to drop
  20. firm — decided
  21. game — wild animals
  22. prune — to trim
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. firm — steady

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