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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. wake — a trail
  4. mine — for digging
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. face — to confront
  9. firm — a company
  10. firm — decided
  11. land — to come down
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. firm — steady
  16. land — a country
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. date — the fruit
  19. land — ground
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. face — part of the head
  22. prune — to trim
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. face — to point toward

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