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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. march — music
  3. fall — to drop
  4. mark — a grade
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. mark — a trace
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. tube — a container
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. fall — the season
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. pitch — completely
  14. fall — to drop
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. tube — the underground
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. march — the month
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. prune — to trim
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. march — the month
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. nail — for a hammer

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