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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  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 — the fruit
  2. rash — a series
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. wake — a trail
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. drill — a practice
  8. prune — to trim
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. roll — a cake
  12. pop — music
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. pop — to visit
  15. drill — the tool
  16. rash — hasty
  17. roll — a list
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. pop — soda
  23. drill — army training
  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