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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. prune — to trim
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. spell — letters
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. rush — hurry
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. present — a gift
  12. lie — to recline
  13. prune — to trim
  14. clip — to cut
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. clip — a video
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. clip — for paper
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. present — the time now
  22. spell — magic
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. present — there

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