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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. cue — a hint
  3. saw — the tool
  4. prune — to trim
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. pit — in a race
  7. tear — to rip
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. tear — from crying
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. tear — from crying
  14. cue — for pool
  15. saw — the tool
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. prune — to trim
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. pit — a hole
  20. ball — a great time
  21. rush — hurry
  22. cue — a signal
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. mine — for digging

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