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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
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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: lash · mug · prune · cap · key · date · bound · march

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. mug — a cup
  3. mug — to rob
  4. key — for a lock
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. march — the month
  7. cap — a lid
  8. prune — to trim
  9. march — the month
  10. date — the fruit
  11. bound — tied together
  12. prune — to trim
  13. key — in music
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. mug — a face
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. bound — certain
  19. key — the most important part
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. cap — a hat
  22. cap — of ice
  23. bound — obliged
  24. march — music

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