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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. march — music
  3. march — the month
  4. prune — to trim
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. bat — the animal
  10. lean — thin
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. scale — size or range
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. scale — in music
  16. lean — to bend
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. prune — to trim
  21. march — the month
  22. pass — a permit
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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