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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: land · last · lash · kick · bank · pitcher · prune · deal

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. bank — for money
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. prune — to trim
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. last — to go on
  10. last — finally
  11. last — final
  12. prune — to trim
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. deal — to handle
  15. kick — in football
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. land — a country
  18. bank — for money
  19. land — ground
  20. bank — of a river
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. land — to come down
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. lash — an eyelash

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