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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. prune — to trim
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. prune — to trim
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. club — for golf
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. club — a group
  15. club — for dancing
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. chip — to eat
  21. fork — in a road
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. chip — for betting
  24. prune — the fruit

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