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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. spring — a coil
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. ball — a dance
  8. prune — to trim
  9. present — a gift
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. ball — a great time
  12. present — there
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. present — the time now
  17. bark — to shout
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. spring — of water
  20. wake — a trail
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. prune — to trim
  23. spring — the season
  24. rush — hurry

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