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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. wind — moving air
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. staff — employees
  5. fine — high quality
  6. wind — moving air
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. ball — a great time
  9. prune — to trim
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. fine — all right
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. stand — to bear
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. snap — to click
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. staff — a stick
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. staff — employees
  22. ball — a dance
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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