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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 116 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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. bat — the animal
  3. bear — the animal
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. staff — employees
  10. prune — to trim
  11. rash — hasty
  12. bear — the animal
  13. staff — a stick
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. prune — to trim
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. staff — employees
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. bear — to put up 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