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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. can — a tin
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. fall — to drop
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. can — to be able to
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. object — an aim
  13. prune — to trim
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. bat — the animal
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. can — a tin
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. fall — the season
  21. fall — to drop
  22. object — to protest
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. object — a thing

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