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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. prune — to trim
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. tube — a container
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. saw — the tool
  9. mine — for digging
  10. prune — to trim
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. cap — a lid
  13. cap — a hat
  14. saw — the tool
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. cap — of ice
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. roll — a list
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. tube — the underground

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