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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. prune — to trim
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. suit — clothes
  7. cold — an illness
  8. date — the fruit
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. cold — not warm
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. season — of the year
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. season — in sport
  15. suit — to fit
  16. bulb — for light
  17. band — a ring
  18. band — a music group
  19. prune — to trim
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. bulb — for light
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. suit — in cards

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