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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. dip — to sink
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. cold — not warm
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. cold — an illness
  9. hand — help
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. hand — in cards
  15. foot — a measure
  16. prune — to trim
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. bear — the animal
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bear — to put up with

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