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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. mark — a trace
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. prune — to trim
  8. perch — the fish
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. squash — the sport
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. spell — letters
  15. spell — magic
  16. object — an aim
  17. spell — a short time
  18. mark — a grade
  19. prune — to trim
  20. squash — to crush
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. object — a thing
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. object — to protest

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