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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. date — the fruit
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. saw — the tool
  12. rush — hurry
  13. mug — a face
  14. prune — to trim
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. saw — the tool
  17. mug — a cup
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. hand — help
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. hand — in cards
  22. prune — to trim
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. mug — to rob

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