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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 120 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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. dip — to sink
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. fork — in a road
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. mate — a friend
  8. ball — a great time
  9. ball — a dance
  10. prune — to trim
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. spring — the season
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. spring — a coil
  15. mate — a partner
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. bank — for money
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. spring — of water
  21. prune — to trim
  22. bank — of a river
  23. bank — for money
  24. ball — a round shape

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