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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 spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. pop — to visit
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. prune — to trim
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. pop — music
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. content — happy
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. prune — to trim
  17. cell — a phone
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. fork — in a road
  20. content — the amount
  21. pop — soda
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. cell — in biology
  24. fork — to eat with

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