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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. bear — the animal
  3. ball — a great time
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. bear — the animal
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. clip — for paper
  10. file — a document
  11. foot — a measure
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. file — a line of people
  16. clip — a video
  17. file — a tool
  18. clip — to cut
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. ball — a dance
  23. prune — to trim
  24. temple — a place of worship

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