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

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. bound — certain
  4. foot — a measure
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. prune — to trim
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. content — the amount
  13. bound — tied together
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. bound — obliged
  16. dip — to sink
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. lean — thin
  20. content — happy
  21. prune — to trim
  22. lean — to bend
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. lash — an eyelash

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