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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 116 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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. prune — to trim
  3. rush — hurry
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. perch — the fish
  10. chip — to eat
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. stem — to come from
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. prune — to trim
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. chip — for betting
  24. lash — to lash out

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