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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: prune · tube · stick · lash · ruler · spring · mate · cell

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. prune — to trim
  4. tube — a container
  5. cell — in biology
  6. spring — of water
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. spring — the season
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. tube — the underground
  14. spring — a coil
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. cell — a phone
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. mate — a partner
  19. mate — a friend
  20. prune — to trim
  21. mate — to breed
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. lash — to lash out

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