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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 would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. prune — to trim
  3. lean — to bend
  4. firm — decided
  5. rest — what's left
  6. ground — the earth
  7. spring — of water
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. ball — a dance
  10. firm — steady
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. firm — a company
  13. ball — a great time
  14. prune — to trim
  15. ground — crushed
  16. spring — a coil
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. rest — what's left
  19. ground — a position
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. lean — thin
  24. spring — the season

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