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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 116 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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. prune — to trim
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. fine — all right
  13. fine — high quality
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. prune — to trim
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. snap — to click
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. pass — a permit
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. fine — a penalty

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