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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  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. rash — on the skin
  2. deal — to handle
  3. prune — to trim
  4. firm — a company
  5. bat — the animal
  6. rash — hasty
  7. bank — for money
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. firm — steady
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. bank — for money
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. bank — of a river
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. prune — to trim
  18. firm — decided
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. rash — a series
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. bat — in an idiom
  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