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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. saw — the tool
  4. pit — in a race
  5. bound — tied together
  6. rock — a stone
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. rock — music
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. prune — to trim
  14. bound — certain
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. wind — moving air
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. roll — a list
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. bound — obliged
  22. prune — to trim
  23. wind — moving air
  24. pit — a hole

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