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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: lash · dip · leaves · scale · trunk · wave · arm · prune

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. scale — in music
  9. scale — size or range
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. prune — to trim
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. prune — to trim
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. dip — to sink
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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