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

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. cue — a hint
  6. saw — the tool
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. prune — to trim
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. cue — a signal
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. saw — the tool
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. prune — to trim
  15. mark — a trace
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. mark — a grade
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. cue — for pool
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. trunk — of a car

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