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

Word bank: lash · mug · bear · toast · season · snap · rule · prune

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. season — in sport
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. prune — to trim
  5. mug — a cup
  6. mug — to rob
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. bear — the animal
  12. rule — a law
  13. toast — bread
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. season — of the year
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. snap — to click
  18. prune — to trim
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. bear — the animal
  21. rule — government
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. lash — to lash out

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