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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 120 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 would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. prune — to trim
  3. track — a path
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. track — a song
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. prune — to trim
  10. rock — music
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. clip — for paper
  13. clip — to cut
  14. firm — a company
  15. firm — decided
  16. bulb — for light
  17. track — to keep track
  18. rock — a stone
  19. firm — steady
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. clip — a video
  22. rest — what's left
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. sharp — clever

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