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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. spring — a coil
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. prune — to trim
  9. row — a line
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. spring — of water
  12. row — to paddle
  13. hand — help
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. hand — in cards
  20. prune — to trim
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. hand — part of the body

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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