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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. prune — to trim
  3. pit — in a race
  4. pit — a hole
  5. suit — in cards
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. wax — to grow
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. present — a gift
  10. land — ground
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. prune — to trim
  15. suit — clothes
  16. present — the time now
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. fork — in a road
  19. present — there
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. suit — to fit
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. land — a country
  24. hide — animal skin

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