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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. pass — a permit
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. sharp — clever
  6. spring — of water
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. prune — to trim
  10. march — music
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. spring — a coil
  20. march — the month
  21. march — the month
  22. spring — the season
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. hide — to keep secret

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