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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mug · rash · cell · spring · mate · prune · fine · swing

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. mug — a cup
  4. fine — high quality
  5. prune — to trim
  6. cell — a phone
  7. mate — to breed
  8. rash — hasty
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. mate — a friend
  11. spring — a coil
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. swing — to play on
  14. mate — a partner
  15. swing — in golf
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. rash — a series
  18. spring — of water
  19. swing — music
  20. prune — to trim
  21. cell — in biology
  22. spring — the season
  23. mug — to rob
  24. fine — all right

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