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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. prune — to trim
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. cell — a phone
  6. object — an aim
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. cell — in biology
  9. prune — to trim
  10. object — to protest
  11. staff — a stick
  12. fine — high quality
  13. object — a thing
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. foot — a measure
  16. fall — the season
  17. fine — all right
  18. fall — to drop
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. fall — to drop
  21. staff — employees
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. staff — employees

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