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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 116 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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. prune — to trim
  5. bulb — for light
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. snap — to click
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. ball — a dance
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. bulb — for light
  14. staff — employees
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. ball — a great time
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. staff — a stick
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. pound — a weight
  24. staff — employees

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