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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: prune · wake · cue · present · tube · land · bark · lash

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. land — to come down
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. present — there
  6. land — a country
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. cue — a signal
  9. prune — to trim
  10. land — ground
  11. bark — to shout
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. tube — the underground
  14. prune — to trim
  15. tube — a container
  16. wake — a trail
  17. present — a gift
  18. present — the time now
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. cue — a hint
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. cue — for pool
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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