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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. last — finally
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. cap — a hat
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. prune — to trim
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. last — to go on
  11. cap — a lid
  12. cap — of ice
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. lean — thin
  15. lean — to bend
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. last — final
  18. prune — to trim
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. racket — for tennis

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