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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 120 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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. prune — to trim
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. ground — the earth
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. prune — to trim
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. wake — a trail
  14. chip — to eat
  15. ground — crushed
  16. rush — hurry
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. fork — in a road
  20. ground — a position
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. chip — for betting
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. wake — before a funeral

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