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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. row — to paddle
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. fork — in a road
  9. kid — child
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. can — a tin
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. prune — to trim
  18. kid — to tease
  19. prune — to trim
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. can — to be able to
  22. row — a line
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. fork — a garden tool

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