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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. clip — to cut
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. scale — in music
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. clip — a video
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. tube — a container
  10. rock — music
  11. fall — to drop
  12. prune — to trim
  13. tube — the underground
  14. clip — for paper
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. scale — size or range
  19. fall — to drop
  20. fall — the season
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. rock — a stone

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