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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 120 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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. track — a song
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. spring — of water
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. prune — to trim
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. track — a path
  12. ground — a position
  13. prune — to trim
  14. ground — crushed
  15. ground — the earth
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. track — to keep track
  19. lean — to bend
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. spring — a coil
  22. lean — thin
  23. spring — the season
  24. wave — with your hand

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