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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. prune — to trim
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. prune — to trim
  7. can — to be able to
  8. chip — to eat
  9. mark — a grade
  10. lie — to recline
  11. can — a tin
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. chip — for betting
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. wind — moving air
  16. wind — moving air
  17. can — a tin
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. kid — to tease
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. mark — a trace
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. kid — child

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