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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. wind — moving air
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. wake — a trail
  9. lie — to recline
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. squash — to crush
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. squash — the sport
  14. prune — to trim
  15. pass — a permit
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. prune — to trim
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. wind — moving air

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