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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. prune — to trim
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. mate — to breed
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. spring — the season
  12. spring — of water
  13. mate — a friend
  14. mate — a partner
  15. swing — music
  16. swing — to play on
  17. prune — to trim
  18. spring — a coil
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. board — to get on
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. board — a committee
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. swing — in golf

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