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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. tear — from crying
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. prune — to trim
  6. pass — a permit
  7. mate — a friend
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. mate — to breed
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. mate — a partner
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. wake — a trail
  14. tear — to rip
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. fine — high quality
  17. ball — a dance
  18. ball — a great time
  19. tear — from crying
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. prune — to trim
  24. fine — all right

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