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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
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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: last · lash · season · prune · bay · race · spring · drill

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. race — a contest
  3. prune — to trim
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. last — to go on
  6. spring — the season
  7. drill — army training
  8. race — humankind
  9. drill — the tool
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. spring — of water
  12. race — the arms race
  13. drill — a practice
  14. prune — to trim
  15. season — of the year
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. spring — a coil
  18. season — in sport
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. last — finally
  24. prune — the fruit

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