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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. rash — a series
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. ball — a great time
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. prune — to trim
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. prune — to trim
  13. ball — a dance
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. tear — to rip
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. tear — from crying
  20. tear — from crying
  21. perch — the fish
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. jam — in traffic

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