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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. object — an aim
  3. face — to point toward
  4. object — a thing
  5. chip — to eat
  6. face — part of the head
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. prune — to trim
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. kid — to tease
  13. chip — for betting
  14. object — to protest
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. wake — a trail
  17. face — to confront
  18. kid — child
  19. mine — for digging
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. prune — to trim
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. mine — an explosive

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