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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. bear — the animal
  3. prune — to trim
  4. bear — the animal
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. swing — to play on
  7. swing — in golf
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. rest — a break
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. rest — what's left
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. shower — to wash
  18. rule — government
  19. plane — a tool
  20. rule — a law
  21. swing — music
  22. shower — rain
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. prune — to trim

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