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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. fall — to drop
  4. spring — the season
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. wake — a trail
  7. spring — of water
  8. fall — the season
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. spring — a coil
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. mug — to rob
  13. march — the month
  14. prune — to trim
  15. prune — to trim
  16. march — music
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. mug — a face
  20. march — the month
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. fall — to drop

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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