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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. file — a tool
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. prune — to trim
  5. march — the month
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. rock — music
  8. march — music
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. march — the month
  13. rock — a stone
  14. saw — the tool
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. file — a document
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. file — a line of people
  20. prune — to trim
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. lie — to recline
  23. saw — the tool
  24. racket — for tennis

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