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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. prune — to trim
  3. spell — a short time
  4. fine — high quality
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. spell — letters
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. kick — in football
  11. toast — bread
  12. prune — to trim
  13. spell — magic
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. track — a song
  16. fine — all right
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. track — a path
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. track — to keep track

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