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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 cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. kid — child
  3. fall — to drop
  4. can — a tin
  5. ball — a great time
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. can — a tin
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. season — of the year
  10. prune — to trim
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. season — in sport
  13. mate — a partner
  14. mate — to breed
  15. ball — a dance
  16. fall — the season
  17. kid — to tease
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. fine — high quality
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. can — to be able to
  22. mate — a friend
  23. fall — to drop
  24. fine — all right

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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