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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: ruler · present · prune · bear · pass · hide · date · wind

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  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. wind — to turn a key
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. present — a gift
  5. wind — moving air
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. pass — a permit
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. date — the fruit
  11. wind — moving air
  12. bear — the animal
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. present — the time now
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. bear — the animal
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. present — there
  21. prune — to trim
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. ruler — a monarch
  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