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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. squash — the sport
  3. prune — to trim
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. prune — to trim
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. perch — the fish
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. squash — to crush
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. lie — to recline
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. saw — the tool
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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