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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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. staff — employees
  5. prune — to trim
  6. face — to confront
  7. face — part of the head
  8. bulb — for light
  9. ball — a dance
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. season — in sport
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. prune — to trim
  14. race — humankind
  15. face — to point toward
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. bulb — for light
  19. season — of the year
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. race — the arms race
  22. race — a contest
  23. ball — a great time
  24. staff — employees

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