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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. fall — to drop
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. snap — to click
  5. firm — a company
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. tube — a container
  8. fall — the season
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. tube — the underground
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. firm — decided
  13. board — a committee
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. pit — a hole
  17. scale — size or range
  18. scale — in music
  19. board — to get on
  20. pit — in a race
  21. fall — to drop
  22. prune — to trim
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. firm — steady

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