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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 assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  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. fine — all right
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. pit — a hole
  6. mate — a partner
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. prune — to trim
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. mate — to breed
  11. mate — a friend
  12. branch — a division
  13. pass — a permit
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. pit — in a race
  16. dip — to sink
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. fine — high quality
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. prune — to trim
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. pass — to succeed
  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