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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  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. rock — to move gently
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. degree — an amount
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. degree — from a university
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. squash — to crush
  12. squash — the sport
  13. prune — to trim
  14. degree — temperature
  15. rock — a stone
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. rock — music
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. stand — to bear
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  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