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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. club — for golf
  3. club — for dancing
  4. staff — employees
  5. staff — a stick
  6. prune — to trim
  7. club — a group
  8. tear — to rip
  9. tear — from crying
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. press — to push
  12. staff — employees
  13. bulb — for light
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. press — a publisher
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. bulb — for light
  21. prune — to trim
  22. press — newspapers
  23. tear — from crying
  24. bulb — of a plant

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