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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. rash — a series
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. fall — to drop
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. prune — to trim
  10. chip — to eat
  11. stem — to come from
  12. key — the most important part
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. key — in music
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. rash — hasty
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. prune — to trim
  19. fall — the season
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. chip — for betting
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. fall — to drop
  24. key — for a lock

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