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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. rest — what's left
  3. sharp — clever
  4. band — a music group
  5. band — a ring
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. rest — what's left
  8. march — music
  9. tube — the underground
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. prune — to trim
  15. prune — to trim
  16. tube — a container
  17. lean — to bend
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. march — the month
  20. march — the month
  21. dip — to sink
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. lean — thin
  24. rest — a break

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