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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. prune — to trim
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. march — the month
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. bulb — for light
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. wound — an injury
  10. tube — a container
  11. plane — a tool
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. bulb — for light
  14. wound — an injury
  15. march — the month
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. march — music
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. tube — the underground

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