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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. spell — magic
  4. present — there
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. prune — to trim
  7. band — a music group
  8. present — the time now
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. present — a gift
  12. spell — a short time
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. spell — letters
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. prune — to trim
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. jam — a tight spot

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