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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. prune — to trim
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. rash — a series
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. perch — the fish
  18. chest — a box
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. prune — to trim
  21. chest — of your body
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. rash — hasty
  24. chest — of your body

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