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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. prune — to trim
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — the tool
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. bear — the animal
  8. rest — a break
  9. pass — a permit
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. kid — to tease
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. kid — child
  18. rest — what's left
  19. cell — a phone
  20. prune — to trim
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. rest — what's left
  24. bear — the animal

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