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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. tube — the underground
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. prune — to trim
  6. object — an aim
  7. suit — to fit
  8. prune — to trim
  9. tube — a container
  10. bark — to shout
  11. object — a thing
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. suit — in cards
  14. wind — moving air
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. wind — moving air
  17. roll — a cake
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. object — to protest
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. roll — a list
  24. pass — a permit

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