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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. wax — to grow
  4. prune — to trim
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. bulb — for light
  8. kick — in football
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. roll — a cake
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. roll — a list
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. prune — to trim
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. fork — in a road
  24. fork — to eat with

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