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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. mark — a trace
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. kick — in football
  5. track — to keep track
  6. fork — in a road
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. prune — to trim
  9. saw — the tool
  10. track — a song
  11. fall — to drop
  12. saw — the tool
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. track — a path
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. mark — a grade
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. fall — to drop
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. fall — the season
  22. mine — for digging
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. mark — to pay attention

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