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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. prune — to trim
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. rash — hasty
  8. prune — to trim
  9. mate — a friend
  10. hand — help
  11. lean — thin
  12. hand — in cards
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. pop — soda
  16. bear — the animal
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. mate — a partner
  19. pop — to visit
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. rash — a series
  22. lean — to bend
  23. pop — music
  24. mate — to breed

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