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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. prune — to trim
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. foot — a measure
  6. cap — of ice
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. last — final
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. cap — a hat
  16. cell — in biology
  17. cap — a lid
  18. prune — to trim
  19. cell — a phone
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. last — finally
  23. last — to go on
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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