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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: mate · cap · lash · prune · mine · pit · staff · bark

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. prune — to trim
  3. cap — a lid
  4. staff — employees
  5. mine — for digging
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. cap — a hat
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. mate — a friend
  11. prune — to trim
  12. cap — of ice
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. pit — a hole
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. mate — a partner
  17. mate — to breed
  18. staff — a stick
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. pit — in a race
  22. bark — to shout
  23. staff — employees
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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