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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. prune — to trim
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. spring — a coil
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. wind — moving air
  11. firm — decided
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. wind — moving air
  14. can — a tin
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. firm — steady
  17. spring — the season
  18. spring — of water
  19. can — to be able to
  20. prune — to trim
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. firm — a company

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