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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. rush — hurry
  3. rest — a break
  4. prune — to trim
  5. bear — the animal
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. rest — what's left
  8. can — to be able to
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. prune — to trim
  11. can — a tin
  12. present — there
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. present — the time now
  18. rest — what's left
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. can — a tin
  24. temple — a place of worship

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