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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 124 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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. prune — to trim
  4. chest — a box
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. kid — to tease
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. hand — help
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. chest — of your body
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. prune — to trim
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. hand — in cards
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. chest — of your body
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. kid — child
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. branch — a division
  24. ruler — a monarch

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