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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 116 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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. mark — a trace
  4. bound — certain
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. prune — to trim
  8. bound — tied together
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. mark — a grade
  13. perch — the fish
  14. bass — the fish
  15. bass — low music
  16. lie — to recline
  17. bound — obliged
  18. mark — to pay attention

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