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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. row — a line
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. face — part of the head
  9. face — to confront
  10. file — a document
  11. prune — to trim
  12. face — to point toward
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. file — a tool
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. saw — the tool
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. file — a line of people
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. row — to paddle
  22. saw — the tool
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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