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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 120 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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Word bank
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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. prune — to trim
  3. kid — child
  4. charge — electricity
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. sharp — clever
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. season — in sport
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. season — of the year
  15. kid — to tease
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. charge — a price
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. charge — in control
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. prune — to trim
  24. lash — an eyelash

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