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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. prune — to trim
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. mark — a trace
  6. season — of the year
  7. face — part of the head
  8. rash — a series
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. face — to point toward
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. face — to confront
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. mark — a grade
  21. rash — hasty
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. season — in sport
  24. fan — a supporter

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