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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. season — in sport
  3. prune — to trim
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. pass — a permit
  7. rash — a series
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. season — of the year
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. tube — the underground
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. club — a group
  14. tube — a container
  15. wake — a trail
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. prune — to trim
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. club — for golf
  23. club — for dancing
  24. rash — hasty

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