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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: mate · mark · lash · bulb · saw · rush · prune · kid

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. prune — to trim
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. prune — to trim
  6. bulb — for light
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. saw — the tool
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. saw — the tool
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. bulb — for light
  17. rush — hurry
  18. mate — a friend
  19. mark — a grade
  20. mark — a trace
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. kid — to tease
  23. mate — a partner
  24. mate — to breed

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