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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 116 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 can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. stand — to bear
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. bulb — for light
  5. pass — a permit
  6. current — of water
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. bulb — for light
  10. current — electric
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. prune — to trim
  14. cap — of ice
  15. shower — to wash
  16. bark — to shout
  17. current — happening now
  18. cap — a lid
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. cap — a hat
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. prune — to trim
  24. shower — rain

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