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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. cue — a signal
  3. cold — an illness
  4. prune — to trim
  5. season — of the year
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. cap — a lid
  11. cold — not warm
  12. cap — of ice
  13. saw — the tool
  14. cue — a hint
  15. tube — a container
  16. branch — a division
  17. prune — to trim
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. season — in sport
  20. cue — for pool
  21. saw — the tool
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. tube — the underground
  24. cap — a hat

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