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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: prune · key · wake · charge · lie · spring · lash · firm

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. firm — decided
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. spring — the season
  7. charge — a price
  8. key — for a lock
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. key — the most important part
  11. key — in music
  12. lie — to recline
  13. prune — to trim
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. wake — a trail
  17. charge — in control
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. prune — to trim
  20. spring — of water
  21. charge — electricity
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. firm — steady
  24. firm — a company

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