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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 120 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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. prune — to trim
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. pop — to visit
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. press — a publisher
  10. press — to push
  11. prune — to trim
  12. press — newspapers
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. craft — a skill
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. lie — to recline
  17. craft — boats
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. pop — music
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. bark — to shout
  23. pop — soda
  24. bark — of a tree

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