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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. prune — to trim
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. stem — to come from
  10. date — the fruit
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. fork — in a road
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. bowl — to roll

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