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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 120 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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. prune — to trim
  3. wound — an injury
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. rash — a series
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. kid — child
  10. pop — soda
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. pop — music
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. lean — thin
  16. prune — to trim
  17. wound — an injury
  18. kid — to tease
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. lean — to bend
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. rash — hasty
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. rash — on the skin

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