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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. bear — the animal
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. staff — employees
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. rash — hasty
  10. staff — employees
  11. rock — a stone
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. staff — a stick
  14. rash — a series
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. rock — music
  18. bear — the animal
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. prune — to trim
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. pass — a permit
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. leaves — of a tree

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