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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. chest — of your body
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. bore — to drill
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. chest — of your body
  15. squash — the sport
  16. chest — a box
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. bore — to tire
  19. prune — to trim
  20. squash — to crush
  21. prune — to trim
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. mine — for digging

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