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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. rock — music
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. rule — a law
  6. bulb — for light
  7. rock — a stone
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. sharp — clever
  10. mark — a grade
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. row — a line
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. mark — a trace
  18. row — to paddle
  19. prune — to trim
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. rule — government
  22. bulb — for light
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. hide — to keep secret

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