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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. mate — a partner
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. mate — to breed
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. hand — in cards
  9. prune — to trim
  10. lie — to recline
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. hand — help
  13. stem — to come from
  14. prune — to trim
  15. race — the arms race
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. race — a contest
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. race — humankind
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. mate — a friend
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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