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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. present — the time now
  3. game — wild animals
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. prune — to trim
  6. present — a gift
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. rest — what's left
  9. spell — magic
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. game — a match
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rest — a break
  14. pitch — completely
  15. prune — to trim
  16. spell — letters
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. spell — a short time
  20. rush — hurry
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. present — there

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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