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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. wake — a trail
  3. firm — steady
  4. spell — a short time
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. scale — size or range
  8. prune — to trim
  9. field — farmland
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. prune — to trim
  16. lie — to recline
  17. scale — in music
  18. spell — magic
  19. firm — decided
  20. field — a subject
  21. spell — letters
  22. field — for sport
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. scale — for weighing

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