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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. clip — a video
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. object — an aim
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. rush — hurry
  8. object — to protest
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. object — a thing
  12. saw — the tool
  13. saw — the tool
  14. prune — to trim
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. clip — to cut
  17. pound — a weight
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. clip — for paper
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. dip — to sink
  24. prune — to trim

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