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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. spell — a short time
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. present — the time now
  6. spell — magic
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. prune — to trim
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. spell — letters
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. wound — an injury
  21. present — a gift
  22. wound — an injury
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. prune — to trim

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