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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: arm · board · drill · prune · cue · clip · mouse · lash

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. cue — for pool
  4. board — to get on
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. clip — a video
  8. prune — to trim
  9. drill — a practice
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. board — a committee
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. drill — army training
  15. cue — a signal
  16. cue — a hint
  17. clip — for paper
  18. drill — the tool
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. prune — to trim
  22. clip — to cut
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. mouse — the animal

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