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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. pop — music
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. prune — to trim
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. row — to paddle
  7. cap — a lid
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. cap — of ice
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. row — a line
  16. prune — to trim
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. pop — to visit
  19. fine — high quality
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. cap — a hat
  22. fine — all right
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. fine — a penalty

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