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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. deal — to handle
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. ground — the earth
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. prune — to trim
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. ground — a position
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. prune — to trim
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. plane — a tool
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. ground — crushed

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