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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 124 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 · kick · stick · march · nail · prune · club · leaves

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. club — a group
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. kick — in football
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. prune — to trim
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. club — for golf
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. march — music
  14. prune — to trim
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. march — the month
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. march — the month
  20. club — for dancing
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. nail — for a hammer

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