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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 116 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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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. kid — child
  4. shower — rain
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. key — the most important part
  7. bound — certain
  8. key — for a lock
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. bound — obliged
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. mark — a grade
  14. rash — hasty
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. ball — a dance
  17. key — in music
  18. shower — to wash
  19. mark — a trace
  20. bound — tied together
  21. kid — to tease
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. rash — a series
  24. ball — a great time

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