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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. drill — army training
  4. prune — to trim
  5. clip — a video
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. mug — to rob
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. clip — to cut
  11. mug — a face
  12. mug — a cup
  13. charge — in control
  14. rest — what's left
  15. drill — a practice
  16. rest — what's left
  17. charge — a price
  18. clip — for paper
  19. charge — electricity
  20. drill — the tool
  21. rest — a break
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. lean — thin
  24. lean — to bend

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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