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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. prune — to trim
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. swing — music
  5. dip — to sink
  6. land — a country
  7. can — to be able to
  8. lean — to bend
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. can — a tin
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. prune — to trim
  15. lean — thin
  16. swing — to play on
  17. can — a tin
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. swing — in golf
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. land — ground
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. lean — to rest against

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