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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. roll — a list
  4. toast — bread
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. can — a tin
  7. perch — the fish
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. roll — a cake
  11. rule — a law
  12. can — to be able to
  13. can — a tin
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. prune — to trim
  16. stem — to come from
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. prune — to trim
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. rule — government
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. prune — the fruit

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