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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. bear — the animal
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. prune — to trim
  6. fine — high quality
  7. land — a country
  8. fall — to drop
  9. fall — the season
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. bear — the animal
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. land — ground
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. fall — to drop
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. fine — all right
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. prune — to trim
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. land — to come down

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