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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: game · season · bulb · lash · row · hide · wake · prune

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  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. hide — animal skin
  2. game — a match
  3. season — of the year
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. prune — to trim
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. season — in sport
  11. row — to paddle
  12. wake — a trail
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. game — wild animals
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. bulb — for light
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. row — a line
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. bulb — for light
  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