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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rest — a break
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. rock — music
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. rock — a stone
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. rest — what's left
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. perch — the fish
  20. deal — to handle
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. prune — to trim
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. prune — the fruit

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