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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. perch — the fish
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. suit — in cards
  8. mug — to rob
  9. content — happy
  10. prune — to trim
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. snap — to click
  14. mug — a face
  15. wind — moving air
  16. fine — all right
  17. suit — to fit
  18. content — the amount
  19. suit — clothes
  20. wind — moving air
  21. mug — a cup
  22. prune — to trim
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. wind — to turn a key

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