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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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. leaves — lets stay
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. ball — a dance
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. rash — hasty
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. rash — a series
  17. saw — the tool
  18. saw — the tool
  19. board — a committee
  20. ball — a great time
  21. board — to get on
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. leaves — of a tree

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