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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. key — in music
  3. prune — to trim
  4. spell — magic
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. fine — all right
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. spell — letters
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. spell — a short time
  18. key — the most important part
  19. key — for a lock
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. prune — to trim
  24. racket — a loud noise

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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