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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 116 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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. mark — a grade
  3. prune — to trim
  4. club — a group
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. club — for dancing
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. saw — the tool
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. squash — the sport
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. club — for golf
  17. saw — the tool
  18. scale — in music
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. mark — a trace
  21. kick — in football
  22. prune — to trim
  23. squash — to crush
  24. kick — with a leg

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