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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. mug — a face
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. rock — music
  5. saw — the tool
  6. date — the fruit
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. wake — a trail
  9. mark — a trace
  10. mark — a grade
  11. mug — a cup
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. mug — to rob
  16. saw — the tool
  17. rock — a stone
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. prune — to trim

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