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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. stand — to bear
  3. race — a contest
  4. prune — to trim
  5. race — humankind
  6. key — the most important part
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. drill — the tool
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. mine — for digging
  11. race — the arms race
  12. key — for a lock
  13. key — in music
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. drill — a practice
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. dip — to sink
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. drill — army training
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. mine — an explosive

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