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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. rash — hasty
  4. prune — to trim
  5. lean — thin
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. cue — for pool
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. rash — a series
  10. bore — to drill
  11. cue — a signal
  12. prune — to trim
  13. cue — a hint
  14. bore — to tire
  15. lean — to bend
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. rush — hurry
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. stem — to come from

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