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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  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. wave — a sudden rise
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. mark — a grade
  6. mine — for digging
  7. can — a tin
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. mark — a trace
  11. prune — to trim
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. squash — to crush
  14. bass — the fish
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. can — a tin
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. squash — the sport
  20. bass — low music
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. can — to be able to
  23. wave — with your hand
  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