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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. prune — to trim
  3. swing — in golf
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. chest — a box
  6. chest — of your body
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. spring — the season
  12. swing — music
  13. scale — size or range
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. spring — a coil
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. spring — of water
  19. scale — in music
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. chest — of your body
  22. swing — to play on
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. hide — to keep secret

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