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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. wind — moving air
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. wind — moving air
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. prune — to trim
  13. mate — a friend
  14. present — there
  15. present — the time now
  16. present — a gift
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. mine — for digging
  19. mate — to breed
  20. mate — a partner
  21. saw — the tool
  22. sharp — clever
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. prune — to trim

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