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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. prune — to trim
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. mine — for digging
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. pass — a permit
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. staff — a stick
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. staff — employees
  18. prune — to trim
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. staff — employees
  22. foot — a measure
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. foot — part of the body

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