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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
468
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: can · spring · court · rash · spell · prune · patient · lash

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. prune — to trim
  4. court — of law
  5. spell — magic
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. spring — the season
  8. court — of a king
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. can — to be able to
  12. rash — a series
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. court — for sport
  16. spring — of water
  17. can — a tin
  18. spell — letters
  19. spell — a short time
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. prune — to trim
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. can — a tin
  24. rash — hasty

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