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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. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. bore — to drill
  7. game — a match
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. suit — to fit
  11. prune — to trim
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. suit — in cards
  15. prune — to trim
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. date — the fruit
  19. game — wild animals
  20. bore — to tire
  21. suit — clothes
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. trunk — of a tree

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