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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. present — there
  4. prune — to trim
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. snap — to click
  8. pass — a permit
  9. prune — to trim
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. bear — the animal
  14. present — the time now
  15. can — a tin
  16. can — to be able to
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. present — a gift
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. can — a tin
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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