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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. object — an aim
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. wind — moving air
  7. object — a thing
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. prune — to trim
  12. stand — to bear
  13. wind — moving air
  14. mark — a grade
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mine — for digging
  17. object — to protest
  18. prune — to trim
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. mark — a trace

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