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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. kick — in football
  3. can — a tin
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. rash — a series
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. rash — hasty
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. date — the fruit
  13. prune — to trim
  14. prune — to trim
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. fork — in a road
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. can — a tin
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. can — to be able to

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