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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 116 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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. fine — high quality
  3. prune — to trim
  4. spell — a short time
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. stand — to bear
  7. spell — magic
  8. rash — hasty
  9. pop — soda
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. kid — child
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. fine — all right
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. kid — to tease
  18. rush — hurry
  19. rash — a series
  20. pop — music
  21. pop — to visit
  22. spell — letters
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. stand — for spectators

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