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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. bear — the animal
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. object — a thing
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. last — finally
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. suit — to fit
  10. suit — clothes
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. suit — in cards
  14. prune — to trim
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. object — to protest
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. rush — hurry
  19. object — an aim
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. stem — to come from
  22. last — to go on
  23. prune — to trim
  24. last — final

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