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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. prune — to trim
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. net — in sport
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. net — for catching
  11. pass — a permit
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. net — after costs
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. rush — hurry
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. kick — in football

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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