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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  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. wake — a trail
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. saw — the tool
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. rush — hurry
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. lean — thin
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. saw — the tool
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. prune — to trim
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. lean — to bend
  23. lash — an eyelash
  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