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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. date — the fruit
  3. lie — to recline
  4. roll — a cake
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. cap — a hat
  7. file — a line of people
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. roll — a list
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. file — a document
  12. cap — a lid
  13. file — a tool
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. cap — of ice
  17. prune — to trim
  18. prune — to trim

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