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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 120 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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. file — a line of people
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. ball — a great time
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. rock — a stone
  9. file — a document
  10. mine — for digging
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. file — a tool
  16. rock — music
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. prune — to trim
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. prune — to trim
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. lash — an eyelash

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