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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 cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. suit — in cards
  4. mate — a friend
  5. prune — to trim
  6. sharp — clever
  7. mate — a partner
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. mine — for digging
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. suit — to fit
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. suit — clothes
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. squash — to crush
  19. mate — to breed
  20. squash — the sport
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. pass — a permit
  24. trunk — of a tree

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