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

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. prune — to trim
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. saw — the tool
  5. mug — to rob
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. march — music
  8. prune — to trim
  9. spell — a short time
  10. spell — letters
  11. wake — a trail
  12. lie — to recline
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. mug — a face
  16. march — the month
  17. march — the month
  18. spell — magic
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. mug — a cup
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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