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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. sharp — clever
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. fall — the season
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. bulb — for light
  13. prune — to trim
  14. fall — to drop
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. kid — child
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. kid — to tease
  20. dip — to sink
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. bulb — for light
  24. fall — to drop

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