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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. prune — to trim
  4. key — the most important part
  5. content — the amount
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. game — a match
  8. key — for a lock
  9. staff — employees
  10. game — wild animals
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. snap — to click
  15. key — in music
  16. content — happy
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. staff — a stick
  20. staff — employees
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. prune — to trim
  24. game — a kind of play

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