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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. prune — to trim
  3. prune — to trim
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. fork — in a road
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. clip — to cut
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. bulb — for light
  11. clip — a video
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. hand — in cards
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. clip — for paper
  16. spell — letters
  17. hand — help
  18. spell — magic
  19. bulb — for light
  20. lie — to recline
  21. spell — a short time
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. bowl — to roll

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