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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. cell — a phone
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. rock — a stone
  6. rest — what's left
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. rock — music
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. pass — a permit
  11. prune — to trim
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. cell — in biology
  14. rush — hurry
  15. rest — a break
  16. prune — to trim
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. bark — to shout
  20. rest — what's left
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. lie — to recline
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. rush — to hurry

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