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

Word bank: mouse · tear · bowl · rest · prune · staff · jam · fall

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. fall — to drop
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. tear — from crying
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. rest — a break
  9. staff — employees
  10. prune — to trim
  11. prune — to trim
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. fall — to drop
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. rest — what's left
  16. tear — from crying
  17. staff — employees
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. fall — the season
  21. staff — a stick
  22. rest — what's left
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. tear — to rip

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