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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. prune — to trim
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. last — finally
  6. can — a tin
  7. wake — a trail
  8. last — to go on
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. squash — to crush
  17. prune — to trim
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. can — to be able to
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. squash — the sport
  23. last — final
  24. can — a tin

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