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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stand — to bear
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. rash — hasty
  6. dip — to sink
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. cell — in biology
  11. land — to come down
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. land — ground
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. prune — to trim
  16. rash — a series
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. land — a country
  21. cell — a phone
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. cell — in a prison

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