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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 116 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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. spell — a short time
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. spell — magic
  5. pass — a permit
  6. last — to go on
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. last — finally
  10. stem — to come from
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. bulb — for light
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. prune — to trim
  20. bear — the animal
  21. prune — to trim
  22. spell — letters
  23. last — final
  24. bear — the animal

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