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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  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 — to trim
  2. wound — an injury
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. bear — the animal
  8. cap — of ice
  9. bear — the animal
  10. prune — to trim
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. cap — a hat
  13. dip — to sink
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. mine — for digging
  19. wound — an injury
  20. kick — in football
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. cap — a lid
  23. wave — of the sea
  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