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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 don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. club — for golf
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. rock — a stone
  7. wound — an injury
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. chip — to eat
  10. club — for dancing
  11. prune — to trim
  12. club — a group
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. rock — music
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. perch — the fish
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. chip — for betting
  20. prune — to trim
  21. dip — to sink
  22. wound — an injury
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. prune — the fruit

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