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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. fine — all right
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. prune — to trim
  8. wake — a trail
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fall — the season
  13. fall — to drop
  14. fine — high quality
  15. prune — to trim
  16. perch — the fish
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. track — to keep track
  19. track — a song
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. suit — clothes
  22. suit — in cards
  23. track — a path
  24. suit — to fit

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