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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. mine — for digging
  4. prune — to trim
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. fork — in a road
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. swing — in golf
  12. mark — a grade
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. swing — music
  15. mark — a trace
  16. swing — to play on
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. shower — to wash
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. shower — rain

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