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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. file — a line of people
  3. fork — in a road
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. craft — a skill
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. prune — to trim
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. prune — to trim
  14. mug — a cup
  15. file — a tool
  16. snap — to click
  17. mug — a face
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. mug — to rob
  22. craft — boats
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. file — a document

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