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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. prune — to trim
  3. bat — the animal
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. mug — a face
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. mug — to rob
  12. suit — in cards
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. suit — clothes
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. lie — to recline
  18. prune — to trim
  19. suit — to fit
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. mug — a cup
  23. branch — a division
  24. lie — an untruth

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