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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. tube — a container
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. prune — to trim
  6. prune — to trim
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. staff — employees
  9. perch — the fish
  10. staff — employees
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. tube — the underground
  13. lean — to bend
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. rush — hurry
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. lean — thin
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. staff — a stick
  23. mine — for digging
  24. mark — a grade

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