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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 120 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 · straw · shower · prune · rest · mug · craft · plane

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. shower — rain
  4. plane — a tool
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. rest — what's left
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. prune — to trim
  10. shower — to wash
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. rest — what's left
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. craft — boats
  16. mug — a face
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. rest — a break
  19. mug — to rob
  20. mug — a cup
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. craft — a skill
  23. prune — to trim
  24. lash — to lash out

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