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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. snap — to click
  4. spring — the season
  5. club — for golf
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. spring — of water
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. prune — to trim
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. rest — a break
  13. plane — a tool
  14. spring — a coil
  15. rest — what's left
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. club — for dancing
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. club — a group
  23. prune — to trim
  24. plane — an aircraft

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