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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. prune — to trim
  4. court — of a king
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. court — of law
  17. fine — all right
  18. court — for sport
  19. prune — to trim
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. fine — high quality
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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