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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. snap — to click
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. track — a song
  9. field — a subject
  10. prune — to trim
  11. track — a path
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. field — farmland
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. prune — to trim
  20. saw — the tool
  21. track — to keep track
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. saw — the tool
  24. field — for sport

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