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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. prune — to trim
  3. bat — the animal
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. prune — to trim
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. hand — help
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. wind — moving air
  16. hand — in cards
  17. scale — in music
  18. wind — moving air
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. scale — size or range
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bulb — of a plant

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