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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  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. bear — to put up with
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. drill — the tool
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. bear — the animal
  8. season — of the year
  9. band — a music group
  10. staff — employees
  11. band — a ring
  12. prune — to trim
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. drill — army training
  15. staff — employees
  16. season — in sport
  17. fork — in a road
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. bear — the animal
  20. staff — a stick
  21. prune — to trim
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. drill — a practice
  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