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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. prune — to trim
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. drill — army training
  6. drill — a practice
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. season — of the year
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. season — in sport
  13. firm — a company
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. firm — steady
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. drill — the tool
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. bat — the animal
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. firm — decided
  23. shower — rain
  24. shower — to wash

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