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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. cap — of ice
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. cap — a lid
  5. deal — to handle
  6. mark — a grade
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. mine — for digging
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. prune — to trim
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. prune — to trim
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. cap — a hat
  20. fork — in a road
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. wake — a trail
  24. mine — belonging to me

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