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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 came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. prune — to trim
  3. wake — a trail
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. prune — to trim
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. rash — hasty
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. plane — a tool
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bear — the animal
  12. mate — to breed
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. mate — a partner
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. mate — a friend
  23. rash — a series
  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