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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. file — a tool
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. wake — a trail
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. field — farmland
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. file — a line of people
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. field — for sport
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. shower — rain
  17. file — a document
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. shower — to wash
  20. field — a subject
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. prune — to trim
  24. prune — to trim

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