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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. kick — in football
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. key — for a lock
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. shower — to wash
  7. mug — to rob
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. key — in music
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. mug — a cup
  13. bulb — for light
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. key — the most important part
  16. prune — to trim
  17. bulb — for light
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. mug — a face
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. shower — rain
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. deal — to handle

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