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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 cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. scale — size or range
  5. prune — to trim
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. pass — a permit
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. ground — the earth
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. ground — a position
  14. fall — to drop
  15. fall — the season
  16. mark — a trace
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. scale — in music
  19. ground — crushed
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. stand — to bear
  23. fall — to drop
  24. mark — a grade

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