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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. prune — to trim
  3. chip — for betting
  4. spell — letters
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. hand — in cards
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. plane — a tool
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. pass — a permit
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. spell — magic
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. chip — to eat
  19. spell — a short time
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. prune — to trim
  23. hand — help
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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