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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. mark — a trace
  4. land — to come down
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. fork — in a road
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. mark — a grade
  11. prune — to trim
  12. land — a country
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. sharp — clever
  16. land — ground
  17. tube — the underground
  18. tube — a container
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. ball — a great time
  22. ball — a dance
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. prune — the fruit

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