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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  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. mouse — the animal
  2. rule — a law
  3. spell — letters
  4. prune — to trim
  5. club — for dancing
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. spell — magic
  8. mark — a grade
  9. club — a group
  10. file — a document
  11. mark — a trace
  12. club — for golf
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. prune — to trim
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. rule — government
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. file — a tool
  22. spell — a short time
  23. file — a line of people
  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