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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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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: net · lash · ball · fan · staff · squash · prune · last

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. staff — employees
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. last — to go on
  9. net — for catching
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. prune — to trim
  12. net — after costs
  13. prune — to trim
  14. last — finally
  15. net — in sport
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. staff — employees
  18. squash — the sport
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. ball — a great time
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. ball — a dance
  23. squash — to crush
  24. last — final

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