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

Word bank: mate · rest · lash · field · dip · prune · straw · bowl

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. mate — a friend
  4. mate — to breed
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. field — farmland
  7. rest — a break
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. dip — to sink
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. field — for sport
  15. prune — to trim
  16. prune — to trim
  17. mate — a partner
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. field — a subject
  22. rest — what's left
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. rest — what's left

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