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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. rest — a break
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. rock — music
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. rock — a stone
  10. degree — from a university
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. shower — to wash
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. rest — what's left
  16. degree — temperature
  17. degree — an amount
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. prune — to trim
  21. rest — what's left
  22. prune — to trim
  23. shower — rain
  24. cabinet — ministers

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