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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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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: cabinet · fork · prune · lash · pitch · wave · temple · current

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. prune — to trim
  6. pitch — completely
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. fork — in a road
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. current — of water
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. prune — to trim
  18. current — electric
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. current — happening now
  24. cabinet — ministers

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