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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. mate — a friend
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. rock — music
  5. can — to be able to
  6. bank — of a river
  7. bank — for money
  8. bank — for money
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. wake — a trail
  12. rock — a stone
  13. mate — a partner
  14. can — a tin
  15. mate — to breed
  16. dip — to sink
  17. prune — to trim
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. can — a tin
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. ruler — a monarch

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