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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 116 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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. prune — to trim
  4. pass — a permit
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. prune — to trim
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. cap — a hat
  11. wake — a trail
  12. march — music
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. rush — hurry
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. march — the month
  21. march — the month
  22. cap — of ice
  23. cap — a lid
  24. leaves — to go away

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