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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. spring — a coil
  3. wake — a trail
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. can — a tin
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. can — a tin
  9. club — for dancing
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. club — for golf
  12. spring — of water
  13. club — a group
  14. saw — the tool
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. spring — the season
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. lie — to recline
  21. saw — the tool
  22. prune — to trim
  23. prune — to trim
  24. can — to be able to

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