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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. march — the month
  3. mug — a cup
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. mug — to rob
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. march — music
  10. march — the month
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. rush — hurry
  13. mug — a face
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. last — finally
  16. last — to go on
  17. last — final
  18. foot — a measure
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. prune — to trim

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