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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. ball — a dance
  3. prune — to trim
  4. rest — a break
  5. shower — rain
  6. cap — a hat
  7. bound — tied together
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. sharp — clever
  10. firm — steady
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. prune — to trim
  13. firm — a company
  14. bound — certain
  15. bound — obliged
  16. rest — what's left
  17. cap — of ice
  18. firm — decided
  19. shower — to wash
  20. cap — a lid
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. rest — what's left

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