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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. current — happening now
  4. current — of water
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. race — humankind
  8. tube — a container
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. prune — to trim
  11. bore — to drill
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. squash — to crush
  14. bore — to tire
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. squash — the sport
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. current — electric
  19. race — a contest
  20. race — the arms race
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. tube — the underground
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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