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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: prune · lash · fall · bay · object · stick · current · patient

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. object — a thing
  3. fall — to drop
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. fall — to drop
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. prune — to trim
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. current — electric
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. prune — to trim
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. object — to protest
  20. fall — the season
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. current — happening now
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. current — of water

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