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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. prune — to trim
  4. lean — to bend
  5. mug — to rob
  6. dip — to sink
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. mug — a face
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. last — final
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. chip — for betting
  13. last — to go on
  14. mug — a cup
  15. lean — thin
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. chip — to eat
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. prune — to trim
  24. last — finally

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