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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. shower — rain
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bulb — for light
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. prune — to trim
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. prune — to trim
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. rush — hurry
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. shower — to wash
  20. plane — a tool
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. board — a committee
  24. board — to get on

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