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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: lash · ruler · rush · chair · last · bay · ball · prune

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. last — final
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. ball — a great time
  8. last — finally
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. ball — a dance
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. prune — to trim
  14. last — to go on
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. rush — hurry
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. prune — to trim
  24. chair — to sit on

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