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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. prune — to trim
  3. snap — to click
  4. lean — thin
  5. prune — to trim
  6. roll — a cake
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. track — a song
  10. pass — a permit
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. drill — army training
  14. lean — to bend
  15. drill — a practice
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. track — to keep track
  18. roll — a list
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. drill — the tool
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. track — a path

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