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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. drill — the tool
  3. prune — to trim
  4. drill — army training
  5. squash — the sport
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. rash — hasty
  10. current — electric
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. squash — to crush
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. prune — to trim
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. drill — a practice
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. current — happening now
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. current — of water
  24. rash — a series

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