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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 · mouse · wind · bear · perch · staff · hide · prune

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. wind — moving air
  3. bear — the animal
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. staff — employees
  6. bear — the animal
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. perch — the fish
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. wind — moving air
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. staff — employees
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. prune — to trim
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. staff — a stick
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. hide — to keep secret

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