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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 116 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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. mug — a face
  3. ball — a great time
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. mug — to rob
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. mug — a cup
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. saw — the tool
  12. prune — to trim
  13. saw — the tool
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. ball — a dance
  16. stem — to come from
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. prune — to trim
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. lash — an eyelash

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