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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 met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. rock — a stone
  3. rest — what's left
  4. march — the month
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. mine — for digging
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. bear — the animal
  12. rest — a break
  13. rock — music
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. rest — what's left
  16. bear — the animal
  17. march — the month
  18. prune — to trim
  19. rush — hurry
  20. prune — to trim
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. hand — in cards
  23. hand — help
  24. march — music

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