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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 got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. club — a group
  5. hand — help
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. kick — in football
  12. club — for dancing
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. hand — in cards
  16. prune — to trim
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. mark — a trace
  20. sharp — clever
  21. prune — to trim
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. club — for golf

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