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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 ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. lean — thin
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. dip — to sink
  7. rash — hasty
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. rash — a series
  10. fine — all right
  11. can — to be able to
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. can — a tin
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. lean — to bend
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. bat — the animal
  20. prune — to trim
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. can — a tin
  23. prune — to trim
  24. fine — high quality

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