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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. can — a tin
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. rash — hasty
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. rash — a series
  11. can — to be able to
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. current — of water
  17. prune — to trim
  18. current — electric
  19. mine — for digging
  20. current — happening now
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. can — a tin

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