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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. fall — to drop
  3. can — to be able to
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. mug — a cup
  6. can — a tin
  7. mug — to rob
  8. object — to protest
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. object — a thing
  11. can — a tin
  12. present — a gift
  13. fall — to drop
  14. row — a line
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. row — to paddle
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. fall — the season
  19. prune — to trim
  20. mug — a face
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. object — an aim
  23. present — the time now
  24. prune — to trim

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