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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: date · rash · key · wave · prune · track · snap · lash

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. snap — to click
  3. track — to keep track
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. rash — a series
  6. key — in music
  7. prune — to trim
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. key — for a lock
  10. track — a song
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. track — a path
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. date — the fruit
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. rash — hasty
  24. key — the most important part

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