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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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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 · court · tube · snap · lash · club · fine · wave

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. tube — a container
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. club — for golf
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. club — a group
  8. snap — to click
  9. court — of a king
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. fine — all right
  12. fine — high quality
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. club — for dancing
  15. prune — to trim
  16. prune — to trim
  17. court — of law
  18. tube — the underground
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. court — for sport
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. prune — the fruit

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