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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. rest — what's left
  5. date — the fruit
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. club — a group
  8. club — for golf
  9. prune — to trim
  10. scale — in music
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. scale — size or range
  13. rest — a break
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. pop — soda
  16. plane — a tool
  17. pop — to visit
  18. rest — what's left
  19. prune — to trim
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. club — for dancing
  23. pop — music
  24. plane — an aircraft

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