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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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468
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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rest — what's left
  3. prune — to trim
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. cap — of ice
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. club — for golf
  8. mine — for digging
  9. rest — a break
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. prune — to trim
  13. cap — a hat
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. club — for dancing
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. club — a group
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. stand — to bear
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. cap — a lid

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