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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 120 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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. bear — the animal
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. pass — a permit
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. row — to paddle
  7. prune — to trim
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. bear — the animal
  12. present — a gift
  13. season — of the year
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. present — there
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. rush — hurry
  18. present — the time now
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. season — in sport
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. row — a line
  24. pass — to spend time

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