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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. prune — to trim
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bear — the animal
  6. wound — an injury
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. bass — low music
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. prune — to trim
  17. bass — the fish
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. snap — to click
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. wound — an injury
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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