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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. prune — to trim
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. mate — to breed
  6. mate — a partner
  7. kick — in football
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. can — to be able to
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. object — a thing
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. spell — letters
  14. saw — the tool
  15. spell — a short time
  16. object — to protest
  17. prune — to trim
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. mate — a friend
  20. object — an aim
  21. can — a tin
  22. spell — magic
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. can — a tin

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