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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. rock — a stone
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. perch — the fish
  6. rock — music
  7. dip — to sink
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. rule — government
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. cold — not warm
  13. can — a tin
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. can — to be able to
  16. stand — to bear
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. can — a tin
  19. prune — to trim
  20. cold — an illness
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. rule — a law
  24. stand — on your feet

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