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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. mate — a partner
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. prune — to trim
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. race — the arms race
  9. land — ground
  10. cue — for pool
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. cue — a signal
  13. mate — to breed
  14. mate — a friend
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. cue — a hint
  19. land — to come down
  20. land — a country
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. race — a contest
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. race — humankind

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