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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. spell — a short time
  3. key — for a lock
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. key — the most important part
  10. prune — to trim
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. spell — letters
  13. fine — all right
  14. spell — magic
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. fine — high quality
  18. key — in music

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