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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. pass — a permit
  5. cap — a hat
  6. rock — a stone
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. rock — music
  10. bass — low music
  11. cap — of ice
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. prune — to trim
  14. file — a tool
  15. file — a document
  16. file — a line of people
  17. lean — thin
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. lean — to bend
  20. cap — a lid
  21. bass — the fish
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. sharp — clever

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