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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. land — a country
  3. land — to come down
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. mine — for digging
  7. prune — to trim
  8. pop — music
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. lean — to bend
  11. pop — to visit
  12. prune — to trim
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. cap — a lid
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. cap — a hat
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. cap — of ice
  21. lean — thin
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. pop — soda
  24. land — ground

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