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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. face — to confront
  6. roll — a list
  7. prune — to trim
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. roll — a cake
  18. pass — a permit
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. face — to point toward
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. face — part of the head
  23. prune — to trim
  24. arm — 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