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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 · nail · prune · last · racket · bear · spring · lash

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. mate — a friend
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. bear — the animal
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. mate — to breed
  8. last — to go on
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. bear — the animal
  11. last — final
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. spring — of water
  15. prune — to trim
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. spring — the season
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. prune — to trim
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. mate — a partner
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. spring — a coil

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