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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. drill — army training
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. prune — to trim
  6. rest — what's left
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. spring — a coil
  9. drill — a practice
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. sharp — clever
  12. wake — a trail
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. saw — the tool
  15. prune — to trim
  16. saw — the tool
  17. spring — of water
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. drill — the tool
  21. spring — the season
  22. rest — a break
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. wake — before a funeral

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