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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. fine — all right
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. firm — a company
  6. mate — a friend
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. wake — a trail
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. prune — to trim
  11. prune — to trim
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. firm — steady
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. mate — to breed
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. fine — high quality
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. firm — decided
  22. mate — a partner
  23. content — the amount
  24. content — happy

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