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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. shower — rain
  4. deal — to handle
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. mug — a face
  7. mug — a cup
  8. field — for sport
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. field — farmland
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. stock — shares
  14. mug — to rob
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. prune — to trim
  17. stock — goods
  18. prune — to trim
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. field — a subject
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. shower — to wash

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