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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. swing — music
  3. prune — to trim
  4. mug — to rob
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. pit — a hole
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. fall — the season
  10. fall — to drop
  11. pit — in a race
  12. fall — to drop
  13. fine — all right
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. prune — to trim
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. fine — high quality
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. mug — a face
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. swing — in golf
  23. swing — to play on
  24. snap — to click

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