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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. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. prune — to trim
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. chest — of your body
  6. drill — the tool
  7. drill — a practice
  8. mug — to rob
  9. kid — child
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. mug — a cup
  16. drill — army training
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. chest — a box
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. kid — to tease
  22. chest — of your body
  23. mug — a face
  24. prune — to trim

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