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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. can — a tin
  3. can — to be able to
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. plane — a tool
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. prune — to trim
  9. can — a tin
  10. stem — to come from
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. shower — rain
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. deal — to handle
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. shower — to wash
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  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