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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: land · rest · prune · scale · pass · wound · dip · rash

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. pass — a permit
  5. prune — to trim
  6. land — ground
  7. land — a country
  8. wound — an injury
  9. rest — what's left
  10. scale — size or range
  11. dip — to sink
  12. rest — what's left
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. rash — a series
  15. rash — hasty
  16. land — to come down
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. prune — to trim
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. scale — in music
  22. rest — a break
  23. wound — an injury
  24. rash — on the skin

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