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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. present — a gift
  4. prune — to trim
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. present — the time now
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. roll — a list
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. pit — a hole
  16. pit — in a race
  17. dip — to sink
  18. present — there
  19. prune — to trim
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. bulb — for light
  24. prune — the fruit

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