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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. fine — high quality
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. ground — crushed
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. prune — to trim
  8. object — a thing
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. drill — the tool
  12. ground — the earth
  13. object — an aim
  14. drill — army training
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. prune — to trim
  17. ground — a position
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wound — an injury
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. fine — all right
  24. object — to protest

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