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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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. spell — letters
  4. spell — a short time
  5. rush — hurry
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. prune — to trim
  10. key — the most important part
  11. face — to confront
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. stem — to come from
  14. key — in music
  15. perch — the fish
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. spell — magic
  18. face — part of the head
  19. face — to point toward
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. key — for a lock
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. jam — in traffic

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