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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 120 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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. ball — a great time
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. tear — to rip
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. ball — a dance
  8. foot — a measure
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. content — happy
  13. tear — from crying
  14. squash — the sport
  15. stand — to bear
  16. content — the amount
  17. prune — to trim
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. prune — to trim
  23. tear — from crying
  24. squash — to crush

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