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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  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. prune — the fruit
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. track — a path
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. prune — to trim
  7. pound — a weight
  8. spring — the season
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bulb — for light
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. content — happy
  13. track — to keep track
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. spring — of water
  16. content — the amount
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. spring — a coil
  21. tube — a container
  22. tube — the underground
  23. track — a song
  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