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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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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: saw · prune · lash · ball · present · rock · capital · sharp

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. capital — a city
  3. saw — the tool
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. prune — to trim
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. rock — music
  8. rock — a stone
  9. ball — a great time
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. present — the time now
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. present — a gift
  16. saw — the tool
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. present — there
  19. capital — money
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. sharp — clever
  24. ball — a dance

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