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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. prune — to trim
  3. track — a song
  4. track — to keep track
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. track — a path
  7. saw — the tool
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. fork — in a road
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. saw — the tool
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. last — final
  14. prune — to trim
  15. can — to be able to
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. last — to go on
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — a tin
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. last — finally
  24. wave — of the sea

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