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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. mug — a cup
  5. clip — to cut
  6. clip — for paper
  7. bear — the animal
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. squash — to crush
  10. cap — of ice
  11. cap — a lid
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. bear — the animal
  14. mug — to rob
  15. mug — a face
  16. spell — magic
  17. prune — to trim
  18. cap — a hat
  19. spell — a short time
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. squash — the sport
  22. spell — letters
  23. clip — a video
  24. prune — the fruit

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