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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. pop — to visit
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. fork — in a road
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. fine — high quality
  13. pop — music
  14. dip — to sink
  15. snap — to click
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. pop — soda
  21. prune — to trim
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. fine — all right
  24. dip — to dunk

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