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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. rock — a stone
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. toast — bread
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. bear — the animal
  9. prune — to trim
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. branch — a division
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. chair — a leader
  19. rock — music
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. branch — of a tree
  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