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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. can — a tin
  4. prune — to trim
  5. can — to be able to
  6. fall — the season
  7. degree — an amount
  8. face — to confront
  9. chair — a leader
  10. can — a tin
  11. fall — to drop
  12. pass — a permit
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. face — to point toward
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. degree — from a university
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. degree — temperature
  19. fall — to drop
  20. prune — to trim
  21. perch — the fish
  22. face — part of the head
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. chair — to sit on

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