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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 · dip · ground · pop · bay · prune · chest · pit

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. ground — a position
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. chest — of your body
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. pop — soda
  9. dip — to sink
  10. prune — to trim
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. pit — a hole
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. chest — of your body
  15. chest — a box
  16. ground — crushed
  17. pop — music
  18. prune — to trim
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. pop — to visit
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. ground — the earth
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. pit — in a race

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