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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 116 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: capital · deal · bat · current · lash · prune · leaves · spell

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. deal — to handle
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. capital — money
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. spell — letters
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. current — electric
  12. current — of water
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. spell — magic
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. current — happening now
  18. spell — a short time
  19. capital — a city
  20. prune — to trim
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. bat — the animal
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. prune — to trim

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