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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. shower — rain
  4. wind — moving air
  5. cue — a signal
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. wind — moving air
  9. face — to confront
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. dip — to sink
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. face — to point toward
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. face — part of the head
  17. prune — to trim
  18. shower — to wash
  19. cue — a hint
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. cue — for pool
  22. stem — to come from
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stem — a stem cell

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