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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 120 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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. foot — a measure
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. bulb — for light
  6. file — a tool
  7. pass — a permit
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. bulb — for light
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. prune — to trim
  14. sharp — clever
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. prune — to trim
  18. rush — hurry
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. file — a document
  21. file — a line of people
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. leaves — lets stay

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