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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 seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. rash — hasty
  5. rash — a series
  6. chest — a box
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. prune — to trim
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. prune — to trim
  14. plane — a tool
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. roll — a list
  18. chest — of your body
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. chest — of your body
  22. roll — a cake
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. pound — a weight

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