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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. cap — a lid
  3. cap — of ice
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. bat — the animal
  6. cap — a hat
  7. kid — child
  8. bank — of a river
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. prune — to trim
  11. firm — steady
  12. bank — for money
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. firm — decided
  15. firm — a company
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. swing — music
  19. bank — for money
  20. swing — to play on
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. swing — in golf
  24. kid — to tease

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