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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 124 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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. cap — a lid
  4. cue — a hint
  5. prune — to trim
  6. firm — steady
  7. lie — to recline
  8. cue — a signal
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. firm — a company
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. bound — obliged
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. bound — certain
  17. snap — to click
  18. cue — for pool
  19. cap — of ice
  20. firm — decided
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. bound — tied together
  23. bat — the animal
  24. cap — a hat

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