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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. bulb — for light
  4. prune — to trim
  5. mark — a trace
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. pop — to visit
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. bulb — for light
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. pop — soda
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. pop — music
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. wax — to grow
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. cell — in biology
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. cell — a phone
  23. prune — to trim
  24. mark — a grade

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