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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. mug — a cup
  3. ground — crushed
  4. ground — a position
  5. branch — a division
  6. prune — to trim
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. season — of the year
  10. mug — to rob
  11. ground — the earth
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. degree — from a university
  16. degree — temperature
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. lie — to recline
  19. mug — a face
  20. season — in sport
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. degree — an amount
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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