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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. mate — a partner
  4. ball — a dance
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. pop — soda
  7. ball — a great time
  8. root — of a plant
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. prune — to trim
  11. root — the cause
  12. pop — music
  13. root — of a word
  14. mate — a friend
  15. pop — to visit
  16. prune — to trim
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. rock — a stone
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. rock — music
  22. wake — a trail
  23. mate — to breed
  24. hide — animal skin

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